Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Photo#1575153
??Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - female

??Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - Female
Danville/garden, Hendricks County, Indiana, USA
August 14, 2018
Size: 4"

Images of this individual: tag all
??Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - female ??Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - female

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Definitely a Black Swallowtail female
Not uncommon to only have seven orange spots on ventral hindwing inner band. Also note row of dorsal white spots on abdomen and hindwing eyespot with centered pupil which are characteristic.

Moved
Moved from Black Swallowtail.

Moved to Papilio polyxenes asterius
Moved from ID Request.

A bit of a worn specimen but looks like Black Swallowtail.

 
Black Swallowtail
The orange spots didn’t look like those of the typical black swallowtail, but I agree, it is pretty worn!

 
swallowtail.
I looked at it carefully, Jackie, because we don't have to deal with dark-colored Tiger Swallowtails here, but I am pretty sure it's Black. I agree the spots have less orange than many...

 
Black Swallowtail
Ken,
I’ve just added a photo of a different Black Swallowtail that I’ve taken earlier. Look at the difference on the arrangement of orange spots!

 
My bad!
Sorry, Jackie. You're right; it looks more like Spicebush Swallowtail. I had forgotten about that one. The row of light dots looks much better for spicebush. What do you think? If you agree I'll move it.

 
Black Swallowtail
I don’t think it is a Spicebush Swallowtail. In that, the third orange spot from the bottom is replaced by what looks like a comet- shaped spray of blue dots.

 
Swallowtail
I'll put it back in ID Request for now.
I apologize for the confusion.
Ken.

 
Black Swallowtail
Ken,
No problem! Maybe Black Swallowtails can just have variations in pattern like that!

 
swallowtail
I unlinked the Black Swallowtail so you'd avoid people telling you not to link different individuals. However, that also unlinked your two photos of the unknown swallowtail. I don't know how to link them again.

 
Simply tag them both
and you will get the opportunity to link them in the upper left.

 
Thanks!
Good to know...

 
Black Swallowtail
No worry! Thanks for spending all the time with this!

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.