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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 32(3), 1978, 236
A NEW RECORD FOR CALYCOPIS CECROPS (LYCAENIDAE) IN COLORADO BY AIRCRAFT-INTRODUCTION
A new butterfly record for Colorado, Calycopis cecrops (Fabricius), was collected by Howard Bone, in the rear cargo pit of a United Airlines 727 at Stapleton International Airport, Denver, on 12 July 1977. The flight was a charter from the east coast arriving in Denver around 1030 MDST. The cargo pit doors of such aircraft are left in the open position the entire time the aircraft is on the ground, and this can easily be from 30 minutes to over an hour, which is ample time for any insect to fly into the pit. The mentioning by others (Eliot 1977, J. Lepid. Soc. 31: 75; Riotte 1977, J. Lepid. Soc. 31: 182) that Lepidoptera can be transported by both military and commercial airliners is confirmed by this record.
Another possibility of an aircraft-introduced species is that of Tmolus azia (Hewitson). This species has been collected in the state twice. The first specimen was collected by Jim Eff on 16 July 1957, Chatauqua Mesa, Boulder Co., Colorado. The second specimen was collected by Marc Epstein on 26 July 1975, Magnolia Rd., Boulder Co., Colorado. These records are both equidistant from the airport. The facts that 1) there are no other records from the state, that 2) they were collected about the same time of year, and that 3) there were no other records during the 18 year interval, suggests the possibility these two specimens were introduced by aircraft.
This unusual occurrence of stowaways on aircraft could provide a very logical explanation for the introduction of butterflies at great distances from their normal ranges. A butterfly could easily fly into the pressurized, air-conditioned cargo pit of an aircraft, and be flown across the country or overseas in a matter of a few hours.
The normal range of Calycopis cecrops is from eastern Kansas through southern Ohio to southern New Jersey and southward to Florida and Texas. The closest distance to Colorado within this range is approximately 500 air miles (805 km), but this specimen traveled some 1500 air miles (2414 km) from the east coast inside an airplane. The normal range of Tmolus azia in North America is southern Arizona and southern Texas, which is approximately 600 air miles (966 km) from Colorado.
The specimens of Calycopis cecrops and Tmolus azia (collected by Marc Epstein) are deposited in the collection of the Denver Museum of Natural History.
Michael G. Pogue, Department of Zoological Collections, Denver Museum of Natural History, City Park, Denver, Colorado 80205.
Journal of the Lepidopterists* Society 32(3), 1978, 236-238
NEW FOODPLANT AND OVIPOSITION RECORDS FOR THE EASTERN
BLACK SWALLOWTAIL, PAPILIO POLYXENES ON AN INTRODUCED
AND A NATIVE UMBELLIFER
Papilio polyxenes (Fabr.) is one of the most common Papilionidae in open fields of the eastern United States. Its larvae are considered to prefer plants of the Umbellif-erae, although in laboratory no-choice situations they will eat several species of Rutaceae. Some individuals can also survive when fed on the cucumber (or mountain magnolia) tree, Magnolia acuminata L. (Scriber and Feeny, in prep.).