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
Upcoming Events

See Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in Wisconsin, July 10-12


Previous events


TaxonomyBrowse
Info
ImagesLinksBooksData

Subspecies Papilio polyxenes asterius-fm-pseudoamericus - Black Swallowtail

Papilio polyxenes - male Papilio polyxenes - male Papilio polyxenes - male Papilio (?) Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes - female Black Swallowtail - form pseudoamericus - Papilio polyxenes - female Black Swallowtail - form pseudoamericus - Papilio polyxenes - female
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Papilionidae (Swallowtails, Parnassians)
Subfamily Papilioninae
Tribe Papilionini (Fluted Swallowtails)
Genus Papilio
Species polyxenes (Black Swallowtail - Hodges#4159)
Subspecies asterius-fm-pseudoamericus (Black Swallowtail)
Remarks
There is no taxonomic distinction of this form of the Black Swallowtail, but they have been put under their own heading so that it is easier to find them.

This is a rare color form in this subspecies, but it can turn up most anywhere. It does seem to be marginally more common in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, northern Mexico), perhaps because these places are geographically closer to subspecies coloro and other Mexican subspecies that commonly exibit the yellow color form.