This Fluminense Swallowtail (above) and Southern Tailed Birdwing (below) are just two of the seven swallowtail species that the Xerces Society is working to protect from habitat loss and over-collecting. Photos by N. Mark Collins (from Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: IUCN Red Data Book (1985)).
The US Fish and Wildlife Service released a 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List Seven Foreign Species of Swallowtail Butterflies as Threatened or Endangered, yesterday. The Finding was released because of a settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation over a lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Portland, Oregon, in May 2004.
The 12-month finding found that listing is not warranted for the Oaxacan swallowtail (Papilio esperanza), and the southern tailed birdwing (Ornithoptera meridionalis). For the remaining five species - Harris' mimic swallowtail (Eurytides lysithous harrisianus), the Jamaican kite swallowtail (Eurytides marcellinus), the Fluminese swallowtail (Parides ascanius), Hahnel's Amazonian swallowtail (Parides hahneli), and the Kaiser-I-Hind swallowtail (Teinopalpus imperialis) - they indicated listing is warranted but precluded by higher-priority listing actions.
These species are at risk of extinction because of habitat destruction and overcollecting. Because of their rarity and beauty, some of these species fetch more than $8,000 for a pair of pinned specimens. Listing these butterflies under the ESA would regulate their transport into the United States, decreasing their availability for sale. Endangered status also would require that projects managed by agencies, such as the World Bank, address the needs of these stunning swallowtails.
To learn more about Endangered Swallowtail Butterflies:
Press releases:
- US
Fish and Wildlife Service's 12-month finding
- Xerces' response to the 12-month finding
- Xerces' lawsuit leading to this agreement
- The agreement between USFWS and conservation groups
Specific information on the seven species in the lawsuit::
The Harris' Mimic Swallowtail (Mimoides lysithous harrisianus) has been eliminated by habitat destruction from all but one known site in southeastern Brazil, which itself is now threatened by development.
The Fluminense Swallowtail (Parides ascanius) is jeopardized by the drainage and development of its subcoastal swamp habitat near Rio de Janeiro.
The Hahnel's Amazonian Swallowtail (Parides hahneli) is restricted to a few areas of sandy riverbank along tributaries of the Amazon in central Brazil and may be threatened by over collection.
The Jamaican Kite (Eurytides marcellinus) is threatened with extinction due to its limited range, restricted distribution of its food plant, and intense agricultural development near Kingston, Jamaica.
The Southern Tailed Birdwing (Troides [Ornithoptera] meridionalis) is endangered by the logging of its natural habitat and the uncontrolled development of plantations in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The Oaxacan Swallowtail (Papilio esperanza) is one of Mexico's rarest butterflies. It is known only from one site in the cloud forest of Oaxaca, Mexico, and is vulnerable to over collection.
The Kaiser-I-Hind (Teinopalpus imperialis imperatrix) is a very rare, stunning swallowtail known from Nepal to southern Myanmar. It is threatened by over collecting and rapid destruction of the high elevation forests upon which it depends.