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.
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 49 - 72 of 7887 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 05, 2017
Submitted by: Rob Williams
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jul 12, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Knox County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 12, 2025
Observation date: Jun 27, 2025
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 10, 2025
Observation date: Jul 06, 2025
Submitted by: Daniel Morton
Region: Warren County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 07, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 05, 2025
Observation date: Jul 01, 2025
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Berrien County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 03, 2025
Observation date: Jun 11, 2023
Submitted by: hsmarshall
Region: Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 16, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 16, 2025
Observation date: Aug 31, 1995
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Grayson County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 10, 2025
Observation date: May 24, 2025
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 28, 2025
Observation date: May 20, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 22, 2025
Observation date: May 18, 2025
Submitted by: Deb Tracy-Kral
Region: Dutchess County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 20, 2025
Observation date: May 16, 2025
Submitted by: jyasmeen
Region: Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2025
Observation date: Apr 23, 2025
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Athens County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 03, 2025
Observation date: Apr 25, 2025
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 26, 2025
Observation date: Jun 04, 2024
Submitted by: Lauenstein
Region: Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 30, 2025
Observation date: Mar 13, 2025
Submitted by: 4wildlife
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 13, 2025
Observation date: Aug 10, 2018
Submitted by: ecplise22
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jan 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Hannah.Bee
Region: Rankin County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 24, 2025
Observation date: May 07, 2014
Submitted by: treys grammy
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 18, 2025
Observation date: Jul 06, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Hamilton County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 13, 2025
Observation date: Jul 16, 2024
Submitted by: actuallyamagpie
Region: Boone County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jan 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: Miya
Region: Ocean County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: Golfkja
Region: Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 17, 2024
- ‹ previous
- 3 of 329
- next ›