Swallowtails are very large insects. When basking in the sun, their outspread wings can be 8 to 14 cm (3 to 5.5 inches) from tip to tip. Their colors are vibrant. Broad yellow wings are edged by black and with four stripes, like tapering chevrons from the forewing margins downward into the yellow wings.

Although they are solitary creatures, often flying high in the treetops, you can sometimes spot a special sight when a group of swallowtail "puddles" as this group is doing. Male butterflies come together at damp places in the soil and drink water. The water contains sodium ions and various amino acids, which allow them to live longer.