Indra Swallowtail
Papilio indra Reakirt, 1866
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Abdomen is all black, or black with a yellow dash on the side of the rear. Wings are mostly black with pale yellow markings. Tails are very short on most subspecies.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 inches (6.2 - 7.2 cm).
Life History: Males watch from rocky areas below tops of hills or mesas for receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on top of host plant leaves or on flowers. Caterpillars feed on the edges of leaves and hide at the base of plants. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight, with occasional late-flying individuals of desert populations, March-August.
Caterpillar Hosts: Aromatic herbs of the parsley family (Apiaceae) growing among rocks.
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Mountains, desert mountains, and canyons.
Range: Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico north to South Dakota, west to Washington.
Conservation: Several subspecies occur entirely or primarily on Federal lands. These include kaibabensis (Grand Canyon National Park), minori (Colorado National Monument and B.L.M.), panamintensis (Death Valley National Monument), and martini (Mojave Desert National Preserve).
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Prevent removal of caterpillar host plants from public lands. Limit collection by permits.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 495 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 19, 2062
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. F. Lesser)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 30, 1981
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Mori)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Apr 19, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Jim Brock)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 18, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Esmeralda County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 30, 2069
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (unknown)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 10, 1975
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (C. S. Lawson)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Apr 12, 1984
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 01, 1992
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (John B. Vernon)
Region: Humboldt County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Apr 19, 2066
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. F. Lesser)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Apr 21, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 25, 2068
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (JF Emmel-O. Shields)
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 18, 1983
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (George T. Austin)
Region: Mineral County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Dec 01, 2012
Observation date: May 19, 2012
Submitted by: sagebird52
Region: Goshen County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: May 22, 2012
Observation date: May 19, 2011
Submitted by: AJBrumble
Region: Valley County, Idaho, United States
Verified by: kent
Verified date: Jan 29, 2012
Observation date: Jul 23, 2011
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Paul Johnson II)
Region: Tulare County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jun 27, 2012
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 01, 2011
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (David Horner)
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Jul 22, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Dvorak)
Region: White Pine County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 06, 2012
Submitted by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: Aug 05, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. & S. Werner)
Region: Coconino County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 01, 2012
Observation date: May 25, 2009
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Millard County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 10, 2011
Observation date: Jul 17, 2007
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 10, 2011
Observation date: Apr 29, 2005
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 10, 2011
Observation date: May 23, 2008
Submitted by: RaisingButterfl...
Region: Grand County, Utah, United States
Verified by: BAMONA
Verified date: Aug 10, 2011
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