The anise swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) gets its name from the fennel plant, also called wild anise, which is a common food source for the caterpillars. A common swallowtail butterfly of western North America, it is distinguished from tiger swallowtail butterflies by being smaller in size and lacking the vertical black striping patterns. Swallowtails get their name from the "tails" on the back edge of their wings that reminded people of the forked tails of swallows.
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