Home » Entomology » Butterflies (Papilionoidea) » Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtails (Papilionidae)

Swallowtail Butterflies

English, Entomology, Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)

Misidentification of Swallowtails in the Absence of Host Plants: A Case Study from the Lake Wales Ridge

In the world of citizen science and digital naturalism, there’s a growing reliance on photographic evidence for species identification. Platforms like iNaturalist have democratized biodiversity data collection, but they’ve also opened the door to misidentification when context is ignored—especially ecological context. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the frequent […]

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Butterfly Farming, Gardening, Horticulture

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Stages

The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) caterpillar undergoes a series of developmental stages, much like other butterflies. This process is known as metamorphosis, and for butterflies, it encompasses four primary stages: 1. Egg The life of a Black Swallowtail begins as a tiny, spherical, cream-colored egg. The female butterfly usually lays […]