Spicebush Swallowtail
Papilio troilus Linnaeus, 1758
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of forewing is mostly black with ivory spots along margin. Upper surface of hindwing has orange spot on costal margin and sheen of bluish (female) or bluish-green (male) scales. Underside of hindwing with pale green marginal spots.
Wing Span: 3 - 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm).
Life History: Males patrol in woods, roads and woodland edges to find receptive females. Females lay single eggs on underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars live in shelters of folded-over leaves and come out to feed at night. Some chrysalids from each generation hibernate.
Flight: 2 generations per year from April-October. In Florida, several generations between March-December.
Caterpillar Hosts: Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sassafras trees (Sassafras albidum); perhaps prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), and redbay (Persea borbonia).
Adult Food: Nectar from Japanese honeysuckle, jewelweed, thistles, milkweed, azalea, dogbane, lantana, mimosa, and sweet pepperbush.
Habitat: Deciduous woodlands, fields, roadsides, yards, pine barrens, wooded swamps, and parks.
Range: Eastern states from southern Canada to Florida; west to Oklahoma and central Texas. Occasionally strays to North Dakota, central Colorado, and Cuba.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None noted.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 7816 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: Miya
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Golfkja
Region: Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2020
Submitted by: Butterflies and...
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 19, 2024
Submitted by: mlriehl
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 13, 2024
Observation date: Sep 15, 2024
Submitted by: yeraunt
Region: Sussex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 11, 2024
Observation date: Sep 04, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 20, 2024
Observation date: Sep 07, 2024
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 07, 2024
Observation date: Sep 02, 2024
Submitted by: Mapper
Region: Johnson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 07, 2024
Observation date: Sep 05, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 05, 2024
Observation date: Sep 03, 2024
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 01, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 02, 2024
Observation date: Jul 11, 2024
Submitted by: Caseyd86
Region: Greene County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
Observation date: Aug 27, 2024
Submitted by: Kentonky41015
Region: Kenton County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: TJ in Derry
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 22, 2024
Observation date: Aug 17, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 13, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Cherokee County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Maury County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2022
Submitted by: Tarafilip
Region: New London County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Jul 31, 2024
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
- 1 of 326
- next ›