The Life of Animals | Pipevine Swallowtail | The Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a swallowtail butterfly found in North and Central America. The butterflies are black with iridescent blue hind wings. The black or red caterpillars feed on Aristolochia species, making them poisonous as both larvae and adults, while the adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers.
The upper surface of the hind wings are an iridescent blue or blue-green with pale, arrow-head markings. Males have brighter metallic regions than females. The underside of the hind wing has seven orange submarginal spots surrounded by iridescent blue Both surfaces of the fore wings are black or dull blackish-brown.
It rarely strays into southern Ontario In the United States, the butterfly is found in New England down to Florida west to Nebraska, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Oregon Habitats for B. philenor vary greatly, including deciduous woodlands, forests, tropical forests, deserts, open fields, meadows, gardens, and orchards.
Males patrol for females in suitable habitats. Young caterpillars are gregarious, while older larvae are solitary. The caterpillars will eat the leaves, stems, and seed capsules of the host plant. The larvae are either black or smoky red.
