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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails, Parnassians (Papilionidae) » Papilioninae » Fluted Swallowtails (Papilionini) » Papilio » Spicebush Swallowtail - Hodges#4181 (Papilio troilus)
Photo#699129
Butterfly: black swallowtail complex - Papilio troilus - female
Copyright © 2012 Alexis Bywater

Butterfly: black swallowtail complex - Papilio troilus - Female
Dedham, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA
August 18, 2012
Size: 3-4 inches
This butterfly was trapped below the bird netting in our veggie garden. I handled it only briefly for these photos. It rested for a moment in my open hand before flying away.

Images of this individual: tag all
Butterfly: black swallowtail complex - Papilio troilus - female Butterfly: black swallowtail complex - Papilio troilus - female
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Contributed by Jeffrey Taylor on 3 September, 2012 - 10:00am
Last updated 15 September, 2012 - 9:01pm

Moved
Moved from Butterflies (excluding skippers).
… David J. Ferguson, 15 September, 2012 - 9:01pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… john and jane balaban, 15 September, 2012 - 10:36am login or register to post comments

Papilio troilus?
This looks more like a female spicebush swallowtail.
… John Stanard, 3 September, 2012 - 12:41pm login or register to post comments

 
Sure is!
Female spicebush
… Paul Dennehy, 6 September, 2012 - 1:37pm login or register to post comments

Possibly
Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Black form Papilio glaucus
… Daniel Mullen, 3 September, 2012 - 10:42am login or register to post comments

 
Mimickry
Amazing, I thought it was at first, just by comparing photos, but then I drifted to Pipevine after reading the various description. What clinches the ID?
… Jeffrey Taylor, 3 September, 2012 - 11:42am login or register to post comments

 
definitely a Spicebush.
Check out the guide images at the bottom of the Black Swallowtail page; it's a great cheat sheet.
The short version: this butterfly has lacks the iridescence of the Pipevine, the black line zigzagging thru the blue patch of the black-form Tiger, and the yellow spots above the blue patch of the Black Swallowtail. This leaves only one contender: the Spicebush.
… Rose L, 3 September, 2012 - 3:05pm login or register to post comments

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