Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
The Pipevine Swallowtail is a large dark butterfly found in open woodlands, fields, gardens, and stream edges where pipevine host plants grow. Adults sip nectar from flowers and fly with a steady, gliding pattern while males patrol for mates. Its caterpillars sequester toxic aristolochic acids from pipevines, making the adult distasteful to many predators. The glossy blue-green hindwings of females and the species’ toxicity make it an important mimicry model for several other butterflies.
- Type
- Venom / Wing
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar
- ?
- Pipevine Swallowtail