The Black Swallowtail is a striking butterfly with yellow-spotted black wings and iridescent blue hindwings. Females mimic the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail. Larvae feed on carrot family plants.
Best time to see a Black Swallowtail
The best time to see a Black Swallowtail is May–August, when about 68% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 130,617 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Black Swallowtail? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Black Swallowtail sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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