Black Swallowtail (Butterflies of Alabama)

Black Swallowtail

Papilio polyxenes

Summary ⁶

The (Eastern) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), also called the American Swallowtail or Parsnip Swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma. An extremely similar-appearing species, Papilio joanae, occurs in the Ozark Mountains region, but it appears to be closely related to Papilio machaon, rather than P. polyxenes. The species is named after the figure in Greek mythology, Polyxena (pron.: /pəˈlɪksɨnə/; Greek: Πολυξένη), who was the youngest daughter...

North american ecology (us and canada) ⁷

Resident in North America east of the Rockies (Scott 1986). Habitats are WOODS, MOUNTAINS AND SUBURBS. Host plants include many species, but mostly in one family, UMBELLIFERAE. Hosts are usually herbaceous. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as pupae. There are a variable number of flights based on latitude with the approximate flight time MAY15-JUN30 in the northern part of the range and JAN1-DEC31 in the southern part of their range (Scott 1986).