North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of New Jersey

Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)

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Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes [Drury])

Wing span: 4 1/2 - 5 1/8 inches (11.4 - 13 cm).

Identification: Upper surface of hind- and forewings with postmedian yellow bands; tails are filled with yellow. Lower surface of hindwing with thin yellow basal stripe and postmedian band of yellow-orange crescents.

Life history: Not reported.

Flight: Two flights, March-December in North; partial 3rd flight in South.

Caterpillar hosts: Plants of the Laurel family (Lauraceae) especially redbay (Persea borbonia).

Adult food: Nectar from flowers of sweet pepperbush, thistles, blue flag, and azalea.

Habitat: Wet woods near rivers and broadleaf evergreen swamp forests.

Range: Along Atlantic coast from southern New Jersey (rare) to Florida; west and south along Gulf Coast to central Mexico.

Conservation: Not usually required.

Management needs: None noted.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

References:

Opler, P. A. and G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the Great Plains.
     Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 color plates.

Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies.
     Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48
     color plates.

Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press,
     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:

Glassberg,  J.  1993.  Butterflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to 
     Butterflies in the Boston-New York-Washington Region.  Oxford Univ. Press, 
     New York, N.Y.  160 pp.

Gochfeld, M. and Burger, J.  1997.  Butterflies of New Jersey - A Guide to 
     Their Status, Distribution, Conservation, and Appreciation.  Rutgers Univ. 
     Press, New Brunswick, N.J.  327 pp.

Iftner, D.C. and Wright, D.M.  1996.  Atlas of New Jersey Butterflies.  Special 
     Private Publication, Sparta, N.J.  28 pp.

Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 
     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 
     
Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format.
     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.     

Shapiro, A.M. 1966.  Butterflies of the Delaware Valley.  American Entomological 
     Society Special Publication.  Philadelphia, PA.  79 pp.   

Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes)

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