Desert Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes coloro
Adults

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Immatures


Black Form of coloro
coloro black form


Yellow Form of coloro
yellow form

Female "black" Emerged 23 April 2017
Black form

fe black

wing and abdomen tip

Four yellow spots on head/neck area
4 dots



Photo Details - ŠNicky Davis

Members of the Utah Butterfly Club went on an outing to Welcome Springs, Washington County, Utah on 18 March 2017 where female Coloro butterflies were located.  The following week, Tony Jones arranged the female coloros on host plant to acquire ova.  Todd Stout and Sheryl Stout removed the ova from the host plant and placed in containers for the members interested in rearing the butterflies.  Larvae began emerging from ova March 29, 2017.

Host Plant
Turpentine Broom -
Thamnosma montana
We used Fennel - Foeniculum vulgare as host plant.  Must be home grown or pesticide used even on "organic" fennel will kill the caterpillars in 5th instar or as they go to pupate.  Instead use Queen Anne's Lace, a native plant, as a host plant.

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