Summary ⁵

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...

Habitat ⁶

Black swallowtails tend to be found in open areas such as meadows, fields, parks, gardens, lowlands, marshes, and deserts.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland

Wetlands: marsh

Conservation status ⁷

These butterflies are widespread and do not seem to be threatened.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

State of Michigan List: no special status

Sources and Credits

1. (c) D. Gordon E. Robertson, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Swallowtail,_male,_Ottawa.jpg
2. (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2257/3608083953_9845a55a50.jpg
3. (c) Steven Severinghaus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4100/4829538080_5874209ed0.jpg
4. (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5012/5529568366_bbdb91c897.jpg
5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_polyxenes
6. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31412832
7. (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31412839

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Animal Diversity Web
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• BugGuide
• Butterflies and Moths of North America
• CalPhotos
• CUIC Insect Images
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• Maryland Moths
• Mass Moths
• Moth Photographers Group
• Moths of North Carolina
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• Pacific Northwest Moths

Range Map

(c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

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