Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes Fabricius, 1775
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of wings mostly black; on inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. Male has yellow band near edge of wings; female has row of yellow spots. Female hindwing with iridescent blue band. In the Southwest, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies P. coloro.
Wing Span: 3 1/4 - 4 1/4 inches (8 - 11 cm).
Life History: Males perch and patrol for receptive females. Female lays eggs singly on leaves and flowers of the host, which are then eaten by hatching larvae. Hibernates as a chrysalis.
Flight: One-2 flights from April-October in northern regions of range; 3 flights in southern regions.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of plants in the parsley family (Apiaceae) including Queen Anne's Lace, carrot, celery and dill. Sometimes plants in the citrus family (Rutaceae) are preferred.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including red clover, milkweed, and thistles.
Habitat: A variety of open areas including fields, suburbs, marshes, deserts, and roadsides.
Range: Most of the eastern U.S., north into Quebec, west into s. Saskatchewan, Colorado and se. California; south to n. South America. Subspecies coloro in desert Southwest.
Conservation: Not usually of concern.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Maintain open fields in East.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 9741 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 19, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 19, 2024
Observation date: Jul 18, 2024
Submitted by: ElaineF
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 18, 2024
Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: EvanMacD
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2024
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 10, 2024
Submitted by: Bombyx-Aurelia
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
Observation date: Sep 21, 2022
Submitted by: Hazem255
Region: Will County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 13, 2024
Submitted by: Hazem255
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 15, 2024
Observation date: Jul 10, 2024
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 12, 2024
Observation date: Jul 05, 2024
Submitted by: lmsmith7677
Region: Clay County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 28, 2024
Submitted by: Benjamin Miller
Region: Knox County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jul 04, 2024
Submitted by: Killer Bunny
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 05, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 03, 2024
Observation date: May 25, 2024
Submitted by: ktronic
Region: Texas, Kerr County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 17, 2024
Submitted by: houdini73
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 03, 2024
Submitted by: jennb1973
Region: Comal County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: jennb1973
Region: Comal County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jul 02, 2024
Observation date: Jun 17, 2024
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 01, 2024
Observation date: Jun 30, 2024
Submitted by: GLG
Region: Walton County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 30, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: EMB
Region: Franklin County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 29, 2024
Observation date: Jun 25, 2024
Submitted by: Selwyn Quan
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 26, 2024
Observation date: Jun 24, 2024
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 25, 2024
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 22, 2024
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