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Swallowtail Butterfly
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Common Name: Swallowtail Butterfly

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Papilionidae

Pest Status: Swallowtail butterflies are not pests.

Appearance: Swallowtails are large, beautiful, butterflies that have distinctive yellow-and-black wings with a long "tail" on the end of each hindwing.

Life Cycle: Females lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Eggs hatch within two weeks into tiny caterpillars that take about one month to grow to full size. A pupa takes about 24 hours to complete development.

Where to Collect: Swallowtails are often found flying in rural areas where there are plenty of diverse plants. They are strong fliers, but usually can be netted by agile and patient collectors.