Spicebush Swallowtail
Common NameSpicebush Swallowtail
Scientific NamePapilio troilus
FamilyPapilionidae
SubfamilyPapilioninae
Wingspan (mm)110
Wing Patternsolid
Primary Colorsblack, blue, green, yellow, orange
HabitatDeciduous woodlands, swamps, stream banks, fields, gardens
Geographic RangeEastern North America, from southern Canada to Florida and west to Oklahoma and Texas
Host Plantsspicebush, sassafras, sweetbay, redbay
Flight PeriodApril to October (multiple broods)
Flight Stylegliding
Conservation Statusleast-concern
Lifecycle NotesLarvae are initially brown, then turn bright green with two large, yellow-rimmed black eyespots on the thorax, resembling a snake. They pupate in a chrysalis that can be green or brown.
Identification TipsDistinguished by its black wings with iridescent blue-green on the hindwings (more blue in males, more green in females), a row of pale yellow spots on the forewing, and a single prominent orange spot on the hindwing near the tail.
Description
A medium-large black swallowtail with iridescent blue-green scaling on the hindwings, a row of pale yellow spots on the forewing, and a prominent orange spot on the hindwing near the tail.
