Windwolf
Crex Meadows Butterflies... The Swallowtails
Swallowtail Butterflies
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
Picture taken June 1, 2007
| Kingdom | Animalia | (Animals) |
| Phylum | Arthropoda | (Arthropods) |
| Superclass | Hexapoda | (Hexapods) |
| Class | Insecta | (Insects) |
| Subclass | Pterygota | (Winged Insects) |
| Order | Lepidoptera | (Butterflies and Moths) |
| Superfamily | Papilionoidea | (Butterflies) |
| Family | Papilionidae | (Swallowtails) |
| Subfamily | Papilioninae | |
| Genus | Papilio | |
| Species | polyxenes | (Black Swallowtail) |
Wing span: 3 1/4 - 4 1/4 inches (8 - 11 cm).
Larvae feed on plants of the carrot family (Apiaceae = Umbelliferae). Commonly found on Dill, Parsley and Fennel in gardens, and Queen-Anne's-Lace in the wild.
Crex Meadows has documented 11 plants in the Apaiceae family as growing on Crex Meadows.
Female lays eggs singly on leaves and flowers of the host, which are then eaten by hatching larvae. Hibernates as a chrysalis.
Habitat: Open areas, meadows, fields, and gardens where caterpillar host plants grow.
Picture on right taken August 8, 2009
In Burnett county, this butterfly should not be confused with any others.
For other areas, the Black swallowtail most resembles the Spicebush swallowtail from below. The spicebush swallowtail is missing one of the orange spots on the inner row of orange spots. From above these two butterflies are different.
From above, the Black swallowtail most resembles the Palamedes Swallowtail, which is found in the southeastern USA.
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail female dark version could be confused by beginners, but the black Swallowtail has no orange spots on its band (other than the two center spots).
Picture taken August 6, 2009
In 2009, Black swallowtail numbers were higher than I have seen this last 3 years. The areas seen in most numbers continued to be on the western side of Crex Meadows, primarily between Dike 4 and Main Dike road. Other spots which this butterfly was seen included Phantom Lake road and the far west side where Main Dike meets Hildas Corner (James road).
The picture on the left is a male Black Swallowtail. Males have a much wider and prominate yellow banding on the inside row when looking at them from the top view. This wider band runs across both fore and hindwings.
Picture taken May 22, 2009
The Black Swallowtail on the right is a female. Note the much narrower yellow banding on the topview as compared to the male picture.
Picture taken July 11, 2009.
Photographing the Black Swallowtail can require patience. Often a nectaring butterfly will be very active. Wind seems to affect them and they keep their balance by constant wing flapping.
Other observed behaviors include circling. A Black Swallowtail advertising for mates will often circle an area, returning to favorite perches. Waiting for the butterfly to return to an area can provide many photograph opportunities for open wing shots as the Black Swallowtail perches, open wing in an area where wind is minimal.
The chart on the left is observations of the Black Swallowtail on Crex Meadows. 2009 is the most comprehensive of the data.