Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Size:
Wingspan is 2 3/8 - 3 3/4 inches.

Similar Species:
Pipevine Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (female)

Habitat:
Open areas, fields, meadows, power line cuts, gardens and tidal marshes.

Abundance:
Uncommon to common. Perhaps more common in the piedmont and coastal regions. Likely can found anywhere in the region.

Flight Period:
Adults fly from late March until late September with at least three broods and no apparent gaps between broods.

Larval Host Plants:
Most members of the carrot family Umbelliferae including Dill Anethum graveolens, Fennel Foeniculum vulgare, Parsley Petroselinum crispum, Common Rue Ruta graveolens and Queen Anne's Lace Daucus carota to name a few.

Comments:
The male above emerged in my garden on August 05, 2000. I had 72 caterpillars one day on my Bronze Fennel a few weeks before.

Underside images of
Black Swallowtails (page 1)

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