Black swallowtail | 台北市立動物園資訊網

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The black swallowtail – also called the eastern black swallowtail or American swallowtail and a variety of other colloquial names such as parsley worm – is a common butterfly found throughout much of North America. Papilio polyxenes is one of many species in the largest genus in the butterfly family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It ranges from southern Canada to northern South America, but is most common east of the Rocky Mountains. There are several subspecies that occur in Mexico, Central America and South America. It has been designated as the state butterfly of Oklahoma.

Adult black swallowtails are usually found in open areas, such as fields, meadows, parks, wetlands, prairies and sunny backyards. Females tend to be larger than the males, with a wingspan of 3¼ to 4¼ inches. The wings are black with yellow, blue, orang...