The Pale Swallowtail is a western species with creamy white and black striped wings rather than the yellow of its relatives, giving it a distinctly cool-toned appearance. It frequents chaparral and mountain shrublands from British Columbia to Baja California. Males hilltopp on prominent ridges to locate mates.
Best time to see a Pale Swallowtail
The best time to see a Pale Swallowtail is May–June, when about 62% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 13,175 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Pale Swallowtail? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Pale Swallowtail sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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