Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771)
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of hindwing iridescent blue or blue-green. Underside of hindwing with submarginal row of 7 round orange spots in iridescent blue field.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 5 inches (7 - 13 cm).
Life History: Adult males patrol likely habitat in search of receptive females. Females lay batches of eggs on underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars feed in small groups when young but become solitary when older. Wintering is by the chrysalis.
Flight: In the East and California, adults fly primarily in late spring (though as early as late February or March) and summer, but the butterfly is commoner in late summer and fall in the South and Southwest. Where lack of freezing temperatures permit, adults ma
Caterpillar Hosts: Pipevines (Aristolochia species), including Aristolochia californica, A. serpentaria and others.
Adult Food: Solely nectar from flowers including thistles (Cirsium species), bergamot, lilac, viper's bugloss, common azaleas, phlox, teasel, azaleas, dame's-rocket, lantana, petunias, verbenas, lupines, yellow star thistle, California buckeye, yerba santa, brodiaeas, and gilias.
Habitat: A wide variety of open habitats, open woodland, and woodland edges.
Range: Rare stray to Canada (s. Manitoba). Tropical lowlands south to southern Mexico.
Conservation: Normally not of high conservation concern, although states at northern limits have listed under state law. These listings are of dubious value where species is not a permanent resident.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Management of habitats to ensure survival of host plant colonies is the only possible concern.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 4502 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 08, 2026
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 11, 2026
Observation date: Apr 10, 2026
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Athens County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 10, 2026
Observation date: Jul 17, 2020
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 10, 2026
Observation date: Mar 22, 2025
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 08, 2026
Observation date: Mar 30, 2026
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Butte County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 05, 2026
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 01, 2026
Observation date: Mar 13, 2026
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 25, 2026
Observation date: Aug 09, 2024
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Aug 09, 2024
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Jun 20, 2024
Submitted by: Dave Kinney
Region: Wexford County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jan 27, 2026
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 09, 2026
Observation date: Feb 15, 2026
Submitted by: SDozzler
Region: Aransas County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2026
Observation date: Feb 25, 2025
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Pinal County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 18, 2026
Observation date: Aug 01, 2025
Submitted by: bentert
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 17, 2026
Observation date: Sep 01, 2025
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 13, 2026
Observation date: Nov 18, 2025
Submitted by: leafdrops
Region: Brazos County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 18, 2025
Observation date: Oct 11, 2025
Submitted by: stephbatres
Region: Washington County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 10, 2025
Observation date: Nov 08, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2025
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: Aurelia Arcana
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 06, 2021
Submitted by: Aurelia Arcana
Region: Sevier County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 01, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Cynbran77
Region: Sevier County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 06, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Oct 19, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 19, 2025
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