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Herclides aristodemus ponceanus |
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Herclides aristodemus ponceanus |
The schaus swallowtail butterfly is the United States' rarest kind of butterfly making it an endangered species. The swallowtail butterfly drinks nectar of cheese shrub, guava, and wild coffee blossoms. The butterfly lays its eggs on the torchwood plant, which is threatened because there is way too much development of land, and provides food for the caterpillar once it hatches. If the torchwood plant vanished, the wild schaus swallowtail butterfly population would also probably vanish. The schaus swallowtail butterfly has the special ability to stop in mid-air and fly backward. The ability helps protect itself from its enemy. The butterfly's predators include spiders, birds, and lizards. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew killed many of the schaus swallowtail butterflies, which left only seventy-three mature swallowtail butterflies alive. The bird is four to five inches (ten to thirteen centimeters) in height. The butterfly is brightly colored, yellow and brown. The schaus swallowtail butterfly is only one of its kind but unfortunately it is very endangered.
