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Bob Moul | profile | all galleries >> BUTTERFLIES >> SWALLOWTAILS

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SWALLOWTAILS | BRUSHFOOTS | LADIES and ADMIRALS | FRITILLARIES | CRESCENTS and CHECKERSPOTS | SATYRS | HAIRSTREAKS | BLUES, COPPERS and HARVESTER | AZURES and ELFINS | WHITES and SULPHURS | SPREADWING SKIPPERS | SACHEM, HOBOMOK, ZABULON SKIPPERS | LEAST, EUROPEAN, DUN and WHIRLABOUT SKIPPERS | TAWNY EDGED, SWARTHY and FIERY SKIPPERS | CROSSLINE, PECK'S, and LITTLE GLASSYWING SKIPPERS | MISC SKIPPERS

SWALLOWTAILS

FAMILY PAPILIONIDAE

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies which form the family Papilionidae. There are at least 550
species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica.
Swallowtails differ from all other butterflies in a number of anatomical traits. Most notably, their caterpillars possess a
unique organ behind their heads, called the osmeterium. Normally hidden, this forked structure can be everted when the caterpillar
is threatened, and emits smelly secretions containing terpenes.
The adults are often tailed like the forked tail of some swallows, giving the insect its name.

The text above is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and is licensed under the GFDL.

BLACK SWALLOWTAIL CATERPILLAR TO ADULT MORPHING

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Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes	Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes	Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes	Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes
Giant Swallowtail w/ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	Black Swallowtail-Female Papilio polyxenes	Black Swallowtail-Female Papilio polyxenes	Black Swallowtail-Male Papilio polyxenes
Black Swallowtail-Male Papilio polyxenes	Black Swallowtail-Male Papilio polyxenes	Pre-pupal Stage	Black Swallowtail Study set
Spicebush Swallowtail-Female Pterourus troilus	Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus	Spicebush Swallowtail-Male Pterourus troilus	Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor	Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor	Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor	Appalachian Swallowtail Pterourus appalachiensis
Appalachian Swallowtail Pterourus appalachiensis	Appalachian Swallowtail Pterourus appalachiensis	Appalachian Swallowtail Pterourus appalachiensis	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Female Papilio glaucus
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Female Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Female Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Male Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Male Papilio glaucus
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtails-Puddling Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Black Form, Always Female Papilio glaucus
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Black Form, Always Female Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Black Form, Always Female Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Black Form, Always Female Papilio glaucus	Eastern Tiger Swallowtail-Intermediate Dark Female Papilio glaucus
Zebra Swallowtail Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtail-Spring Form Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtail-Spring Form Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtail-Summer Form Eurytides marcellus
Zebra Swallowtail-Summer Form Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtail-Summer Form Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtail-Summer Form Eurytides marcellus	Zebra Swallowtails Eurytides marcellus
Zebra, Spicebush & Eastern Tiger Swallowtails E. marcellus, P. troilus, P. Glaucus	Red Spotted Purple & Spicebush Swallowtail

comment |

Bea Tasca		07-Dec-2015 20:28
I have raised black swallow tail during the summer. I have several in the pupa stage. Will they winter over is I leave them outside in the cold winter or can they be brought inside until the weather becomes warm again?

Guest		01-Apr-2015 21:27
how about the giant tiger swallowtail in southern AZ??

candace		13-Nov-2012 12:59
Very pretty pictures I enjoyed them!!!

Rebecca		03-Sep-2010 23:24
I found three caterpillars and brought them inside, along with the plants they were on. I was watching them when it looked as if they were fighting, they were on top and beside each other waving their heads around with the orange forked thing on their heads out and then coming down hard on each other. Each time one made contact with the other, it flinched. I let two of them go and kept one...but it died about an hour later. I went out and checked the other two and they were also dead. Is this common? I'd like to see them transform, but I don't want to kill them. I found another and brought it inside. Hopefully with just one it will survive and transform. How do I keep it alive?

Jolene		12-Aug-2010 17:14
How do you determin the sexes between the zebra swallowtails?

Guest		24-Jul-2010 15:18
I just found a prepupal black swallowtail caterpillar on my parsley plant. I am protecting it in a large jar with holes in the lid and a stick until it emerges. I am feeding it fresh parsley and green carrot tops.

Judee		21-Jun-2010 21:27
I just found a swallowtail in the prepupal stage in my garden, is there anything I can do to help it along its journey to becoming a butterfly

Susan Etzel		28-Mar-2009 19:11
I love butterflies. These are beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

Peggy		15-Aug-2008 14:30
Thank you...I was having trouble identifing a black with blue butterfly...thought it was a black swallowtail...but that didn't quite fit...then maybe a female black tiger swallowtail...but still didn't quite fit...then I saw your pictuers of the Spicebush Swallowtail-Female and I'm ceratin that's it!!!

Chris C		22-Jul-2008 15:30
These are great pictures! I was able to help teach a friend the joy of raising caterpillars by showing her your gallery and knowing what to expect. :)

Guest		03-Jul-2008 03:49
Beautiful gallery. I especially appreciate the research to identify them . Thanks. I was surprised last summer to find what I believe to be a spicebush larva on my spicebush plant in my yard. I was expecting maybe a spider or whatever. If you have a few minutes check my "beginnings" gallery and see if I identified it correctly. Thanks again.

Yvonne Merriam		28-Aug-2007 16:40
Never having seen Pipevine nor Spicebush this far north, I was confused as to the differences between them and our standard Black Swallowtails, Bob. And since there have been a lot of sightings of the two former near Syracuse lately, I decided to research them online to get a good basis for the field. Consulting the web field guides only added to my confusion. So I thought I would consult my old buddy. Naturally, your galleries proved to be superior to any other online resource, and I can certainly see the difference between all three species! I should've just gone to Leps4U2C in the first place! Thanks for being such a valuable resource, and such a talented photographer. Anyone can take pictures, very few can make art. Best wishes always, friend. Vonnie

Don Jowett		24-Dec-2006 10:07
Wonderful pix, but didn't include the one I'm trying to locate; in France: Like the larger common swalowtail, but instead of being light yellow was a deep brownish red colour. Really striking!

Dany C.		17-Nov-2006 17:10
beautiful shots

linas		17-Aug-2006 09:12
nice job,nice objects

Andria		07-Dec-2004 01:09
these pictures are fantastic. I am using them to study for entomology!!!

Sue		30-Nov-2003 04:48
Great pictures!! Enjoyed the mudpuddling pics.

nancy		31-Jul-2003 10:33
Beautiful pix of butterflies, these are quite good for identification ..also marvelous to look at..!! Fine works of nature photography.

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