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Battus philenor
Pipevine swallowtail adults have a wingspan from 7 to 13 cm. The dorsal wings of an adult male are black with vibrant blue iridescence on the hind wings. Female iridescence is duller in appearance. Bright orange spots are visible on the back end of the ventral wings.
Spotted nectaring on Plume thistle at Mount Magazine State Park. The pipevine swallowtail has a wide distribution across the Northern Americas. In the United States, the butterfly is found in New England down to Florida west to Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Oregon.
Pipevine swallowtail adults use nectar producing plants as hosts, and thus there are many plants that fit this criterion. These butterflies frequent thistle (Cirsium) flowers, the pink and purple flowers of the Phlox species, and ironweed of Vernonia species.
Spotted on Sep 13, 2018
Submitted on Sep 22, 2018
2 Comments
Thank you Zlatan. I had a fun time at this State Park, which is noted for its number butterfly species.
Love this series!