A zebra swallowtail butterfly was observed in Toronto's High Park, marking the first local sighting since 1896. The individual was found by Crystal Byrne while visiting and maintaining the park's black oak savannah, an endangered ecosystem. The zebra swallowtail was once common in southwestern Ontario around Windsor but declined after development and clearing of woods. High Park has recorded about 74 butterfly species since the 1980s. The swallowtail's host plant, pawpaw, remains uncommon in the area. Territorial cabbage white butterflies repeatedly chased the swallowtail. Habitat loss and widespread insecticide use have negatively impacted butterfly populations, and monarch numbers are alarmingly low in North America.
This stunning black and white butterfly came out. And I was like, that's a zebra swallowtail,
Never did I think that I was going to see one there.
I feel like I spent a lot of time in that park it felt like a little gift that that land gave back,
Every time the swallowtail would land, it would get chased off by cabbage white,
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