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 1 - 24 of 9837 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 04, 2025
Submitted by: voriig
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 24, 2025
Observation date: Nov 14, 2025
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 14, 2025
Observation date: Sep 14, 2025
Submitted by: stephbatres
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 12, 2025
Observation date: Jun 29, 2025
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 07, 2025
Observation date: Sep 23, 2025
Submitted by: Nilesh Shah
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 26, 2025
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Jeffrey
Region: Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
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: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: saturniidluvr
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 23, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: SaraStreams
Region: Scott County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 10, 2025
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Elkhart County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 16, 2025
Submitted by: creekwalking
Region: Polk County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 19, 2025
Observation date: Oct 07, 2025
Submitted by: treys grammy
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 08, 2025
Observation date: Aug 13, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
Observation date: Sep 26, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 27, 2025
Observation date: Sep 19, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Wood County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 17, 2025
Submitted by: MerylBloomer
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 17, 2025
Observation date: Sep 15, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 08, 2025
Submitted by: Accidentalcatmom
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 16, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Lancaster County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 15, 2025
Observation date: Sep 08, 2025
Submitted by: jwileyrains
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: hrr705
Region: Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 27, 2022
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Wayne County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Sep 10, 2025
Submitted by: MerylBloomer
Region: Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
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