The Individual Markings of the Black Swallowtail

The Individual Markings of the Black Swallowtail The black swallowtail, one of North America’s most familiar butterflies, frequently visits backyard gardens. They are a very common sight and youve likely seen the butterfly and caterpillar quite often, especially near your vegetables.   How to Identify Black Swallowtails This large butterfly has black wings with yellow markings and a wingspan of 8 to 11 centimeters. The male displays a row of bold yellow spots, while the female’s spots are faded shades of yellow and blue. The black swallowtail’s colors mimic those of similar species, such as the giant or pipevine swallowtails. To identify the black swallowtail, look for a pair of black dots centered in larger orange circles on the inner edge of the hind wings. The black swallowtail caterpillar changes appearance each time it molts. In the last few stages of growth, it is white and green with black bands and yellow or orange spots. The black swallowtail is also known as the Eastern black swallowtail, the parsley worm, and the parsnip swallowtail. The last two names refer to the insects proclivity to feed on plants in the carrot family. Black swallowtails fall into the Papilionidae family, which includes other swallowtails: Kingdom – AnimalPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – LepidopteraFamily – PapilionidaeGenus – PapilioSpecies – polyxenes What Do Black Swallowtails Eat? The butterflies feed on nectar from flowers. Caterpillars feed on plants in the carrot family, which includes dill, fennel, parsley, and carrots. Life Cycle Like all butterflies, the black swallowtail undergoes a complete metamorphosis. The life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Egg - It takes 3-5 days for eggs to hatch.Larva - The caterpillar has five instars  (the stage  between molts).Pupa - The chrysalis stage lasts 9-11 days, or over the winter.Adult - Northern areas have one or two generations; southern areas may have three. Special Adaptations and Defenses The caterpillar has a special gland called an osmeterium that emits a foul odor when it is threatened. The orange osmeterium looks like a forked snake tongue. Caterpillars also ingest oils from the host plants  of the carrot family; the foul taste of the chemical in their bodies repels birds and other predators. The chrysalides of the black swallowtail can be green or brown, depending on the color of the surface to which they are attached. This form of camouflage keeps them hidden from predators. The adult butterfly is thought to mimic the pipevine swallowtail, which is distasteful to predators. Habitat and Range of Black Swallowtails You will find black swallowtails in open fields and meadows, suburban yards, and roadsides. They are most common in  North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Their range extends south all the way to the northern tip of South America and they are also present in Australia.

Battle of Narva - Great Northern War Battle of Narva

Battle of Narva - Great Northern War Battle of Narva Conflict Date: The Battle of Narva was fought November 30, 1700, during the Great Northern War (1700-1721). Armies Commanders: Sweden King Charles XII8,500 men Russia Duke Charles Eugà ¨ne de Croy30,000-37,000 men Battle of Narva Background: In 1700, Sweden was the dominant power in the Baltic. Victories during the Thirty Years War and subsequent conflicts had enlarged the nation to include territories ranging from northern Germany to Karelia and Finland. Eager to combat Swedens power, its neighbors of Russia, Denmark-Norway, Saxony, and Poland-Lithuania conspired to attack in the late 1690s. Opening hostilities in April 1700, the allies intended to strike Sweden from several directions at once. Moving to meet the threat, 18-year old King Charles XII of Sweden elected to deal with Denmark first. Leading a well-equipped and highly trained army, Charles launched a bold invasion of Zealand and began marching on Copenhagen. This campaign forced the Danes out of the war and they signed the Treaty of Travendal in August. Concluding business in Denmark, Charles embarked with around 8,000 men for Livonia in October with the intention of driving an invading Polish-Saxon army from the province. Landing, he instead decided to move east to aid the city of Narva which was threatened by Tsar Peter the Greats Russian army. The Battle of Narva: Arriving at Narva in early November, Russian forces began laying siege to the Swedish garrison. Though possessing a core of well-drilled infantry, the Russian army had not yet been fully modernized by the tsar. Numbering between 30,000 and 37,000 men, the Russian force was arrayed from south of the city in a curved line running to the northwest, with their left flank anchored on the Narva River. Though aware of Charles approach, Peter departed the army on November 28 leaving Duke Charles Eugà ¨ne de Croy in command. Pressing east through bad weather, the Swedes arrived outside the city on November 29. Forming for battle atop Hermansberg hill a bit more than a mile from the city, Charles and his chief field commander, General Carl Gustav Rehnskià ¶ld, prepared to assault the Russian lines the next day. Opposite, Croy, who had been alerted to the Swedish approach and relatively small size of Charles force, dismissed the idea that the enemy would attack. On the morning of November 30, a blizzard descended across the battlefield. Despite the foul weather, the Swedes still prepared for battle, while Croy instead invited the majority of his senior officers to dinner. Around midday, the wind shifted to the south, blowing the snow directly into the Russians eyes. Spotting the advantage, Charles and Rehnskià ¶ld began advancing against the Russian center. Using the weather as cover, the Swedes were able to approach to within fifty yards of the Russian lines without being spotted. Surging forward in two columns, they shattered the troops of General Adam Weyde and Prince Ivan Trubetskoy and broke Croys line in three. Pressing home the assault, the Swedes forced the surrender of the Russian center and captured Croy. On the Russian left, Croys cavalry mounted a spirited defense but was driven back. In this part of the field, the retreat of Russian forces led to the collapse of a pontoon bridge over the Narva River which trapped the bulk of the army on the west bank. Having gained the upper hand, the Swedes defeated the remnants of Croys army in detail through the rest of the day. Looting the Russian camps, Swedish discipline wavered but the officers were able to maintain control of the army. By morning, the fighting had ended with the destruction of the Russian army. Aftermath of Narva: A stunning victory against overwhelming odds, the Battle of Narva was one of Swedens greatest military triumphs. In the fighting, Charles lost 667 killed and around 1,200 wounded. Russian losses were approximately 10,000 killed and 20,000 captured. Unable to care for such a large number of prisoners, Charles had the enlisted Russian soldiers disarmed and sent east while only the officers were kept as prisoners of war. In addition to the captured arms, the Swedes captured nearly all of Croys artillery, supplies, and equipment. Having effectively eliminated the Russians as a threat, Charles controversially elected to turn south into Poland-Lithuania rather than attack into Russia. Though he won several notable victories, the young king missed a key opportunity to take Russia out of the war. This failure would come to haunt him as Peter rebuilt his army along modern lines and eventually crushed Charles at Poltava in 1709.