Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Female Eastern Black Swallowtail with wings unfolded
Underside of wings
Eggs on parsley
Caterpillar in defensive pose
Caterpillar ready to change to chrysalis
Last stage of the metamorphosis
2 snacking on Fennel
Snacking on Fennel
visiting the phlox
Incredible number of caterpillars on my bronze fennel!
In a Meadow in Pinellas County, Florida August 2006
A comparison of the different instar stages of the Eastern Black Swallowtail.
Black Swallowtail - males are mostly black with a yellow submarginal band, yellow spots along wing edge and some blue spots on hindwing
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Here overwintering chrysalids taken in on plants before the cold. Plans to release with DS second grade classroom next Spring aftr they eclose.
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) This one caught my Chihuauah's attention, but it didn't stop her from oviposting several eggs on the Ruta graveolens with us only a couple feet away.
SWallowtail cats on fennel
Going from Zinnia to Zinnia
And the inside. This butterfly kept fluttering it's wings, and I could not get a good STILL shot. Be Still!!! :)
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) the caterpillar.
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) the Chrysalis.
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterfly being released.
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) - St. Paul, MN - June 2006
The mother laid about 12 eggs on all my Dill plants, and bypassed the fennel. Twelve Caterpillars!!!
Close-up of wings, five minutes after eclosing from chrysalid. As soon as these emerge, they are crawling like crazy until I placed them on the underside of a Zinnia Flower.
Ovipositing on Dill
Newly emerged.
Newly emerged.
Newly emerged.
Black Swallowtail moments after emerging from chrysalis.
Chrysalis on my rosemary plant.
Eastern Black Swallowtail ready for its first flight.
Black swallowtail butterfly enjoying a butterfly bush
Chrysalis of black swallowtail on parsley
starting to pupate
Only a few minutes old.
Drying wings, ready to take on the new world. : )
Here's my first Black Black Swallowtail cat - it's a whopper.
Enjoying breakfast before being released
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar, Aug 4th, west KY, USA
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar, Aug 4th, west KY, USA
Female Black Swallowtail raised and photographed in Milwaukee, WI.
Male black swallowtail with its wings open. Below it is a female with her wings closed.
Happy Birthday butterfly!!! (With empty brown crysalis above)
It was early morning and she was cold so didn't try to fly away.
SO gorgeous! I felt blessed to be so close to such perfect beauty.
"Just hanging around".
Shedding or molting of skin indicates the changing into the next instar.
This was a concern when it first happened but others assured me it would be fine. They were right the first BST emerged without problem.
Early instar of Eastern Black Swallowtail
Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) caterpillar visting the deck (from the parsley). I did return it back to the parsley.
On Zinnia 'Zowie'
This was one of 14 my husband and I had a nursery for last summer, 2008...so much fun...pure joy!
Happily munching on my dill......
A bit of cheating here--this one was newly emerged from the chrysalis, and I placed it on the zinnia.
Eastern Black Swallowtail
Newly emerged black swallowtail in netting cage
black swallowtail feeding on sugar solution
Black Swallowtail in LBL,West Kentucky,July 2010
Made in LBL,West Kentucky,July 2010
Two Swallowtails in LBL,Western Kentucky,July 2010
Hard to capture - kept on flapping and moving - in the heat of the day (on a Durante)!
Papilio polyxenes consuming Ruta graveolens on a warm Autumn evening in Northeastern Oklahoma.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii) and female Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes). Southern VT, August 2012
These cats love parsley!
Going for the dill
July, 2013--Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, MI (Brendas Butterfly House)
July, 2013--Barsons Greenhouse, Westland, MI (Brendas Butterfly House)
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
Just emerged from chrysalis and released outside on to the dill. This was our 3rd of 6 caterpillars.
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About
Eastern Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Papilionidae |
| Genus: | Papilio |
| Species: | polyxenes |
