Battus philenor
| Pipevine swallowtail | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Tribe: | Troidini |
| Genus: | Battus |
| Species: | B. philenor |
| Binomial name | |
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Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771) |
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| Subspecies | |
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see text |
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see text
Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. The butterflies are black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. The black or red caterpillars feed on Aristolochia species, making them poisonous as both larvae and adults, while the adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers.
The upper surface of the hindwings are an iridescent blue or blue green with pale, arrowhead markings. Males have brighter metallic regions than females. The underside of the hindwing has seven orange submarginal spots surrounded by iridescent blue. Both surfaces of the forewings are black or dull blackish brown. Individuals of the Northern California subspecies, Battus philenor hirsuta, are smaller and hairier. Pipevine swallowtails can have a wingspan to up to 3 1⁄2 inches (89 mm). Battus philenor can usually be found in fields, meadows, gardens, parks, open woods, roadsides and stream sides. [1]
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The pipevine swallowtail is mimicked by many species, including the dark morph female eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), the spicebush swallowtail (P. troilus), the black swallowtail (P. polyxenes), the Ozark swallowtail (P. joanae), the sympatric subspecies red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), and the female Diana fritillary (Speyeria diana).
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