Papilio glaucus (natural occurring genetic anomalies)

[mothman55]

What were the circumstances surrounding the capture of your very special find mothman55 ?

I was out baiting tigers (June 8, 2020) that day, I have a circuit along a dirt road that generally has some puddling tigers (canadensis) and I put down some salt water and a few decoys. I was at the end of my route and with only one spot left to check at a boat launch when I saw just 2 tigers puddling, but it was immediately obvious that one was very melanic. It was a pretty simple capture as I grabbed my net out of the back of the Pathfinder and dropped it over both tigers. I have to admit I was probably shaking as I knew it was my first (and probably only) fletcheri. The photo was post capture as I was not going to risk it flying away as I fumbled with my camera.

[Chuck]

What were the circumstances surrounding the capture of your very special find mothman55 ?

I was out baiting tigers (June 8, 2020) that day, I have a circuit along a dirt road that generally has some puddling tigers (canadensis) and I put down some salt water and a few decoys. I was at the end of my route and with only one spot left to check at a boat launch when I saw just 2 tigers puddling, but it was immediately obvious that one was very melanic. It was a pretty simple capture as I grabbed my net out of the back of the Pathfinder and dropped it over both tigers. I have to admit I was probably shaking as I knew it was my first (and probably only) fletcheri. The photo was post capture as I was not going to risk it flying away as I fumbled with my camera.

PLEASE tell me about baiting and especially decoys!

I've used pee to attract glaucus, which takes 24 hours to do whatever it does on the ground. It's not worked for canadensis or whatever we have in spring. Last year, some cretin dumped a load of horse or cow manure right in the parking lot of my primary field research area; I thought it was a blessing from heavenly criminals. However, I never saw any Tiger pay the least bit of attention to it.

Last year, I spent from May 14 until June 06 in the field before I got my net on a Tiger. Then not another in the net until 03 July. That's one Tiger for FIFTY friggin' days. Not that I didn't see them, I did, but they don't seem to alight. So my plan this year is to decoy, which I've not done before. I'd appreciate any insights into stands, methods, preservation of the decoy, etc.

[Trehopr1]

That was a wonderful story of capture mothman55 !

I really appreciate your insights involved in such a unique capture. That it certainly a "Holy Grail" in the species P. canadensis.

[Trehopr1]

That's the wrong fellow Chuck who is 79 years old but, I'll still get pictures nevertheless....

[mothman55]

PLEASE tell me about baiting and especially decoys!

This is how I bait tiger swallowtails. I know a dirt road that tigers fly along, no point in an area where you don't see them. I pour some salt water in a puddle in the sand at the side of the road, and then place 3 or 4 dead tiger swallowtails, wings spread, in the sand where I poured the salt water. Just put small stones on the wings so the wind doesn't blow them away. I usually do 5 or more of these bait spots over a 3 or 4 mile road, and I drive around the circuit from spot to spot checking. A good day there will be congregating tigers sipping the salt water, have dropped my net on 20+ at one spot, but more typically 3 or 4. And sometimes the best spots are not at my bait, it might be a dead turtle or animal dung. Best is the day after a rain, so there is some moisture spots already. As they fly down the road, they see the dead tigers, looks like they are feeding, and they join the group. But if you don't see any tigers flying in the area, it's a waste of time. We are fortunate in this area to see lots of them in late May to mid June. All males though, you have to find flowers for the females, lilac is best around here. Find a good lilac bush in a secluded area and its like a magnet.

[daveuk]

Two females. Same locality. One seems very large compared to other female glaucus I have & the other appears genetically different. Both purchased from Ken Thorne in Canada.

[boghaunter1]

A couple of nice smokey female P. glaucus obtained in exchange from Pennsylvania about a decade ago.

Smokey P. glaucus.jpg (325.41 KiB) Viewed 492 times

John K.

[Trehopr1]

Very nice indeed John !

I'm glad that you managed to secure yourself a couple
of these or more importantly found someone "willing"
to part with them !!

As I've said these are rarely encountered in nature. I
have never yet found one myself in all my years of field
excursions. Have caught PLENTY of (dark phase) females
with only 3 or 4 showing "slight" markings of yellow inversions.
Smokey tigers have GOT to stand out but, its sheer luck
running into one.

You have to admit --- there is nothing quite like them short
of P. canadensis fletcheri.

[boghaunter1]

Hi Trehopr1,

Yes, I was (with hindsight being 20/20!) very lucky in obtaining these, by exchange, many years ago; they were already pinned & luckily survived, intact, the rough trip through both of our postal systems! I actually have 6 more (3 smokies, 3 normal yellow females) still papered...

That rag P. canadensis "fletcheri", shown before, was collected late in July many years ago. I almost didn't collect it initially because it looked like a small, normal male that was just so beat up, at season's end, that it could barely fly!. It obviously had difficulties emerging from the chrysalis. Glad I took a feeble swing at it anyway as it is the only one, to date, I've ever seen in 47 years of collecting!

John K.