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 145 - 168 of 490 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 27, 2001
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Lynn & Gene Monroe)
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 18, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (S. Dvorak)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 28, 1979
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Wayne Dawes)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 18, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Stan Dvorak)
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 02, 1976
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 17, 1992
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, B. Griffin)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 01, 1982
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 05, 1941
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (M. L. Walton)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 14, 1985
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 03, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, B. Griffin)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 18, 1978
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 14, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Ken Hansen)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 06, 1940
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (M. L. Walton)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 08, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 03, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, B. Griffin)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Apr 14, 1926
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Chris Henne)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: May 05, 1982
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 26, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterling Mattoon)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Mar 09, 2010
Observation date: Jun 17, 1989
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Laurence Crabtree)
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jun 08, 1980
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Apr 03, 1993
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (J. Emmel, B. Griffin)
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Apr 14, 1926
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Chris Henne)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: Jun 26, 1988
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Sterling Mattoon)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
Observation date: May 05, 1982
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (R. S. Townsend)
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport (Ken Davenport)
Verified date: Jan 25, 2010
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