Polydamas Swallowtail
Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Lacks tails. Black above with submarginal yellow band.
Wing Span: 3 1/2 - 4 1/2 inches (9 - 12 cm).
Life History: Female lays eggs in groups of 10-14 on exposed new stems or growing tips of vines. Caterpillars feed in groups when young. Overwinter as chrysalids.
Flight: Two-3 flights from April-November.
Caterpillar Hosts: Pipevines (Aristolochia species).
Adult Food: Nectar of lantana. Occasionally seen feeding on honeysuckle and soapweed flowers.
Habitat: Open woods, abandoned fields, disturbed areas.
Range: South Texas and peninsular Florida south to Argentina. Strays north to Kentucky and Missouri.
Conservation: None noted.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Manage habitat for caterpillar host plant and nectar sources.
BAMONA Shop
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 302 verified sightings
Observation date: Jan 15, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 16, 2023
Observation date: Dec 25, 2022
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 25, 2022
Observation date: Dec 17, 2022
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 09, 2014
Submitted by: ntdm5791
Region: Honduras
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Jun 15, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 02, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: May 30, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: May 07, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: May 06, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 23, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 07, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Apr 19, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Mar 27, 2020
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 05, 2018
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2016
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 04, 2016
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2015
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 24, 2022
Submitted by: MrWndrfl
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Sep 30, 2021
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jun 21, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2022
Submitted by: Voyager6331
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 16, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 02, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 3 of 13
- next ›