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 121 - 144 of 4435 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 14, 2023
Observation date: Apr 10, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Franklin County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 11, 2023
Observation date: May 05, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jul 04, 2019
Submitted by: Beverly 54
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Feb 08, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: Nov 01, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
Observation date: Oct 14, 2022
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 23, 2016
Submitted by: zstevenson95
Region: United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2021
Submitted by: Brynne Bryan
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: mfernandabarraza
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Apr 04, 2019
Submitted by: David F Smith
Region: Sonora, Mexico
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 25, 2022
Submitted by: pamelmmc
Region: Galveston County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 23, 2022
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 15, 2022
Observation date: Nov 12, 2022
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 12, 2022
Observation date: Feb 19, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Sonoma County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Oct 24, 2022
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
Observation date: Oct 23, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Oct 22, 2022
Submitted by: SamanthaI
Region: Bell County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
Observation date: Jan 16, 2018
Submitted by: NBBAM
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2022
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