Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Despite its name, the Old World Swallowtail is a yellow-and-black butterfly native to northern North America. Each hindwing has a short tail and an orange spot near the inner corner. Adults visit flowers for nectar and settle on wet gravel or mud to take up minerals.

Appearance

Appearance: The wingspan is about 3 in (75 mm) in Alaska. Broad yellow bands cross the black wings, and each hindwing has a tail and an orange spot near the inner corner.

Look-alikes

Anise SwallowtailPapilio zelicaon

The Old World Swallowtail usually has broader yellow bands. Its orange hindwing spot lacks a centered black pupil, while the Anise Swallowtail's spot is usually centered with black.

Why they get mixed upBoth are yellow-and-black swallowtails with similar tails and orange hindwing spots.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: mountain meadows
ridgetops
tundra
Range: In the United States, well-documented populations occur across much of Alaska, from low elevations to more than 3,000 ft (900 m) in the Interior.
Preferred conditions: It favors open country with low plants and nearby flowers rather than closed forest.
When to see it: In Alaska
Active Jun–Jul

Behavior

Activity: Adults take nectar at flowers, and males often patrol or wait along ridgetops. They can also settle on wet gravel or mud to take up minerals.
Overwintering: The species spends winter as a .

Life cycle

Reproduction: Females place eggs singly on a , and the young caterpillars eat its leaves.
Caterpillar food plants: In Alaska, caterpillars use boreal sagebrush. Elsewhere in North America, they use other sagebrushes and only rarely plants in the parsley family.

Name and classification

About the name: This species has many named geographic forms. The Japanese form was called Papilio machaon hippocrates and is sometimes classified as a separate species, Papilio hippocrates.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: Despite the name “Old World,” this butterfly is native in Alaska and northern North America.

15 sources