Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata W.F. Kirby, 1884
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of male forewing with narrow black stripes. Each hindwing has 2 tails.
Wing Span: 3 1/2 - 5 inches (9 - 12.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol stream courses or city streets for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on leaves of host plant. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest on silken mats in shelters of curled leaves. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: One flight May to mid-August in North, most of year in South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of ash (Fraxinus), hop tree (Ptelea), and chokecherry (Prunus).
Adult Food: Nectar from thistles, milkweeds, California buckeye, lilac, and many others.
Habitat: Foothill slopes and canyons, moist valleys, streamsides, woodlands, parks, roadsides, suburbs, and cities.
Range: Western North America south from British Columbia, east to central Nebraska and central Texas, south through Mexico.
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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 121 - 144 of 1059 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 06, 2022
Observation date: Apr 18, 2022
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 22, 2022
Observation date: Apr 11, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 13, 2022
Observation date: Apr 01, 2022
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2021
Submitted by: Arley
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 26, 2022
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 21, 2021
Submitted by: Harry Forbes
Region: Iron County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Dec 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2017
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 20, 2021
Observation date: May 16, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 20, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 31, 2021
Submitted by: StacyN
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 12, 2021
Observation date: Oct 17, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 31, 2021
Observation date: Oct 15, 2021
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 13, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 05, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 28, 2021
Observation date: Aug 25, 2021
Submitted by: Steve Hoipkemeier
Region: Hays County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 03, 2021
Submitted by: mongoose
Region: Whitman County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Sep 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 24, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: alexkamai
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 14, 2021
Observation date: Aug 06, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 07, 2021
Submitted by: shmartin
Region: Denver County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
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