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 4487 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Oct 04, 2025
Submitted by: Ivyrk87
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 04, 2025
Observation date: Sep 29, 2025
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 02, 2025
Observation date: Sep 20, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 22, 2025
Observation date: Apr 10, 2025
Submitted by: Hill.joshuab
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: May 24, 2025
Submitted by: starmans
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 04, 2025
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Warren County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe (Donna Forsythe)
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: JHH241
Region: Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 04, 2025
Observation date: Sep 01, 2025
Submitted by: Melinda Bell
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 02, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 30, 2025
Observation date: Aug 25, 2025
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 26, 2025
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: ButterflymothAR
Region: Ouachita County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Doug DeNeve
Region: Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: Sour Rose
Region: Cabell County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 16, 2025
Observation date: Jul 16, 2025
Submitted by: Lydiaak
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2025
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