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 97 - 120 of 302 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 10, 2020
Submitted by: kye
Region: Highlands County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 10, 2020
Observation date: Aug 01, 2020
Submitted by: Elmstreet239
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 04, 2020
Observation date: Jul 03, 2020
Submitted by: Fanzinigardens
Region: Pasco County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 03, 2020
Observation date: Jun 17, 2020
Submitted by: robert.emond
Region: Alachua County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 17, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: Sep 10, 2016
Submitted by: mouser
Region: Orange County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 27, 2020
Observation date: Jun 07, 2016
Submitted by: Mhirthler
Region: Manatee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 19, 2020
Observation date: May 17, 2020
Submitted by: Thendricks3
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 17, 2020
Observation date: Apr 29, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 29, 2020
Observation date: Apr 08, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2020
Observation date: Apr 02, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Apr 03, 2020
Observation date: Feb 26, 2020
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 29, 2020
Observation date: Nov 11, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 12, 2019
Observation date: Nov 11, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 12, 2019
Observation date: Nov 02, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 03, 2019
Observation date: Sep 25, 2019
Submitted by: Tammy Depascale
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 10, 2019
Observation date: Jul 15, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Sep 05, 2019
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: AJVanh.arch
Region: Martin County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 18, 2019
Observation date: Jun 20, 2019
Submitted by: Moobamoo
Region: Clay County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 01, 2019
Observation date: Jul 23, 2019
Submitted by: therapypetz
Region: Broward County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 23, 2019
Observation date: Jul 17, 2019
Submitted by: Spook
Region: Lake County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 17, 2019
Observation date: Jul 06, 2019
Submitted by: GinaT
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 06, 2019
Observation date: Jun 15, 2019
Submitted by: CalusaIslandFarmer
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 15, 2019
Observation date: May 22, 2019
Submitted by: roedeals
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 22, 2019
- ‹ previous
- 5 of 13
- next ›