Black Swallowtail
From Free net encyclopedia
Current revision
{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Black Swallowtail | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Arthropoda | classis = Insecta | ordo = Lepidoptera | familia = Papilionidae | tribus = Papilionini | genus = Papilio | species = P. polyxenes | binomial = Papilio polyxenes | binomial_authority = Fabricius, 1775 }} The Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma.
The Black Swallowtail has a wingspan of 3 1/4 inches to 4 1/4 inches (8 to 11 centimeters). The upper surface of the wings is mostly black. On the inner edge of hindwing is a black spot centered in larger orange spot. A male of this species has a yellow band near edge of wings; a female has row of yellow spots. The hindwing of the female has an iridescent blue band.
In the Southwest USA, yellow forms predominate in the subspecies Papilio polyxenes coloro.
References
- Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly: Large format reference quality (free) photographs Cirrus Digital Imaging
- Template:ITIS
This article is adapted in part from this page at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.