Swallowtail Butterflies are large, black and spectacular.
Photo courtesy audreyjm529/Flickr.com
Swallowtail butterflies are large and command attention. In NorthAmerican our largest species are The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail followedby the Giant Swallowtail.
The family members have a a very distinctive extension on their hindwings which looks like a tail. This tail also resembles the wings of aswallow in flight. This is where the "swallowtail" name comes from.
Swallowtail butterflies are members of the subfamily Papilionidae (Swallowtails)of the order Lepidoptera (butterflies, skippers and moths). They arefound worldwide except in the Arctic.
These swallowtail butterflies prefer to feed from taller plants. The males like to"puddle". Puddling is gathering at mud or sandy puddling and sippingminerals from the moisture. Create a mud or sandy puddle in your yardto attract these butterflies.
Many, if not most of the swallowtails, are black butterflieswith other colors on their wings. The colors can be yellow, orange,red, green or blue. Many species have iridescent blue, black or greenbackground wing color. If you seeblack butterflies flying around your neighborhood, it justmight be one of the common North American species below.
The male and females often have different markings which need closeinspection to see. A good field guide on book on butterflies help to identify the speciesand explore the markings in more depth.
Photo courtesy Donna Long
| Common name: | Spicebush Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Papilio troilus | | Wingspan: | Average 4.1 inches | | Family: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Range: | East, South, Southeast, Midwest, Texas and New Mexico. | | Habitat: | Woods, parks, roadsides, fields, pine barrens and swamps | | Host plant(s): | Uses primarily Spicebush (Linden benzoin) but alsoSassafras. | | Adult food: | Nectar from tall flowers | | Note: | Many swallowtails look similar |
Photo courtesy kratboy/Flickr.com
| Common name: | Pipevine Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Battus philenor | | Family: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Wingspan: | average 3.6 inches | | Range: | southern parts of North America | | Habitat: | open woods, gardens and scrub land | | Host plant(s) | Pipevines (Artistolochia) including Pipevines andDutchman's Pipe (Aritolochia macropylla) | | Adult food: | nectar of taller flowers, mud puddles | | Note: | Males love to puddle, so kept a moist muddy or sandyarea. |
Photo courtesy audreyjm529/Flickr.com
| Common name: | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Papilio glaucus | | Family name: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Wingspan: | average 4.8 inches | | Range: | Eastern and mid-western North America | | Habitat: | nearly anywhere with deciduous trees | | Host plant(s): | In the north: Aspens: in the South: black cherry, tuliptree, sweet bay | | Adult food: | Nectar, puddling | | Note: | Southern females are the largest butterflies in NorthAmerica. |
Photo Courtesy Elizabeth Sellers, National Biological Information Infrastructure. http://images.nbii.gov
| Common name: | Zebra Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Eurytides marcellus | | Family: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Wingspan: | average 3.1 inches | | Range: | eastern United States | | Habitat: | moist deciduous forests and river bottoms. | | Host plant(s): | Pawpaws (Asimina triloba) | | Adult food: | nectar, puddling | | Note: | Especially long tails |
Photo courtesy Elizabeth Sellers/National Biological Information Infrastructure http://images.nbii.gov
| Common name: | Black Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Papilio polyxenes | | Family name: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Wingspan: | average 3.2 inches | | Range: | Eastern North America | | Habitat: | open areas such as fields, suburbs, marshes, desertsand roadsides | | Host plant(s) | Carrot/Parsley family (Apiaceae) wild carrot, dill,parsley, parsnip | | Adult food: | nectar puddling | | Note: | Male has yellow spots: female has creamy white spots. |
Photo courtesy tlindenbaum/Flickr.com
| Common name: | Giant Swallowtail | | Scientific name: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Family name: | Swallowtails (Papilionidae) | | Wingspan: | average 4.8 inches | | Range: | Eastern and Southern United States | | Habitat: | open areas such as parks, suburbs, citrus groves | | Host plant(s) | Citrus trees, Prickly ash | | Adult food: | nectar, puddling, and dung | | Note: | Not North America's largest butterfly, the EasternSwallowtail is the largest. |
More Butterfly Information
Butterfly Life Cycle
egg
larva
chrysalis
adult
Where to find them
The most common butterfly species
Seven butterfly families
Spring butterflies
Attracting Butterflies
Top nectar plants
Top host plants
Field Guides
Black Butterflies
Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Swallowtail Butterflies
From Swallowtail Butterflies Return to Black Butterflies
From Swallowtail Butterflies Return to Butterflies
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