BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes

Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Size: Wingspan 3–4"

Habitat: Roadsides, sunny fields, meadows

Range: Throughout the contiguous United States

The Black Swallowtail is a common dark butterfly with prominent tails and scalloped hindwing margins. The wings are black overall with a prominent, broken, postmedial band of yellow and yellow spotting along the margins. The lower hindwings are iridescent blue (more pronounced in females), each showing an anal spot that is orange with a black center. The wing undersides are marked similarly, but the spotting is more orange than yellow, especially on the hindwings. The body is plump and black, with rows of small yellow spots down the abdomen. The antennae are thin with clubbed tips. The caterpillar is smooth, plump, and green with orange-spotted black bands. The caterpillar eats the leaves of cow parsnip, Queen Anne’s lace, and other plants in the carrot family. Adults feed on nectar from flowers.