The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a swallowtail butterfly distributed throughout the forests of North America and Central America. Their name references their preferred environments, where pipevine can grow in abundance. Physically, the adult male Pipevine Swallowtail is black with vibrant blue iridescence on the hind wings; the adult females’ iridescence is duller in appearance. There are bright orange spots on the back end of the ventral wings. The species is known to sequester acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed.
The Pipevine Swallowtail has a total wingspan in the range of 2.75”-5.12” (70-130 mm. The body of the Pipevine Swallowtail has an overall length between .94”-1.77” (24-45 mm), body width of .16”-.3” (4-7.5 mm), and body height of .18”-.35” (4.5-9 mm). The typical lifespan of the Pipevine Swallowtail is between 30-45 days.
The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a swallowtail butterfly distributed throughout the forests of North America and Central America. Their name references their preferred environments, where pipevine can grow in abundance. Physically, the adult male Pipevine Swallowtail is black with vibrant blue iridescence on the hind wings; the adult females’ iridescence is duller in appearance. There are bright orange spots on the back end of the ventral wings. The species is known to sequester acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed.
The Pipevine Swallowtail has a total wingspan in the range of 2.75”-5.12” (70-130 mm. The body of the Pipevine Swallowtail has an overall length between .94”-1.77” (24-45 mm), body width of .16”-.3” (4-7.5 mm), and body height of .18”-.35” (4.5-9 mm). The typical lifespan of the Pipevine Swallowtail is between 30-45 days.
