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Papilio zelicaon zelicaon
Anise Swallowtail
The nominate subspecies of the Anise Swallowtail, found in western North America. Larvae possess distinctive defensive osmeteria—scent glands that evert when disturbed, releasing foul-smelling compounds. The species has been extensively studied for diapause dynamics and host plant relationships, with research demonstrating Type III diapause-induction curves. Laboratory life table studies have been conducted to test survivorship hypotheses across its elevational range.