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 73 - 96 of 7814 verified sightings
Observation date: May 27, 2021
Submitted by: Palmiera
Region: Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jan 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Stillwater Girl
Region: Muskegon County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: tmblok87
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: SNitzsch
Region: Genesee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Oct 20, 2023
Submitted by: Amerika352
Region: Marion County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: nysnej
Region: Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 17, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: tedzimmerman
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: TNnutter
Region: Warren County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2023
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: Slreitz1952
Region: Warren County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: rapids
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: rtsmith
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 4 of 326
- next ›