Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor (Linnaeus, 1771)
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upper surface of hindwing iridescent blue or blue-green. Underside of hindwing with submarginal row of 7 round orange spots in iridescent blue field.
Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 5 inches (7 - 13 cm).
Life History: Adult males patrol likely habitat in search of receptive females. Females lay batches of eggs on underside of host plant leaves. Caterpillars feed in small groups when young but become solitary when older. Wintering is by the chrysalis.
Flight: In the East and California, adults fly primarily in late spring (though as early as late February or March) and summer, but the butterfly is commoner in late summer and fall in the South and Southwest. Where lack of freezing temperatures permit, adults ma
Caterpillar Hosts: Pipevines (Aristolochia species), including Aristolochia californica, A. serpentaria and others.
Adult Food: Solely nectar from flowers including thistles (Cirsium species), bergamot, lilac, viper's bugloss, common azaleas, phlox, teasel, azaleas, dame's-rocket, lantana, petunias, verbenas, lupines, yellow star thistle, California buckeye, yerba santa, brodiaeas, and gilias.
Habitat: A wide variety of open habitats, open woodland, and woodland edges.
Range: Rare stray to Canada (s. Manitoba). Tropical lowlands south to southern Mexico.
Conservation: Normally not of high conservation concern, although states at northern limits have listed under state law. These listings are of dubious value where species is not a permanent resident.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Management of habitats to ensure survival of host plant colonies is the only possible concern.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 73 - 96 of 4435 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 07, 2021
Submitted by: keleptose
Region: Sevier County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: keleptose
Region: Sevier County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: keleptose
Region: Sevier County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Nov 21, 2023
Observation date: Jun 20, 2023
Submitted by: kericson
Region: Pickens County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 06, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 05, 2023
Submitted by: mohundrosmonarc...
Region: Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 15, 2023
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Sep 26, 2023
Submitted by: Doug Nettleton
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 11, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 22, 2016
Submitted by: Marc Gottlieb
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
Observation date: Oct 10, 2023
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 28, 2023
Submitted by: Barjones78
Region: Benton County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: Mikelchap
Region: Glynn County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: Janeal W. Thompson
Region: Prowers County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: zingaro
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 21, 2023
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: ReggieGal
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 15, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: altoonamothlady
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Williamson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
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