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Two-tailed Swallowtail
Papilio multicaudata
29.7252, -99.0742
Field Notes
Description:
Its appearance is similar to the Giant Swallowtail, Western, and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, but has thinner and fewer black stripes on the wings and the hind wing has two tails. The Two-tailed Swallowtail has distinctive yellow wings with a black tiger striping. Each hindwing has several blue markings (top and bottom). The eyespots can fool predators into attacking the rear of the butterfly instead of the head, giving the butterfly a chance to escape. The wingspan of this particular species is 68 to 104 mm (2.7 to 4.1 in) making it the largest swallowtail in western North America.
Habitat:
The butterfly can be seen from Guatemala, through Mexico, the western United States to southern Canada in southern British Columbia, Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. It typically lives near streams and in moist valleys but also in canyons and cities at lower elevations lower elevations. - Host plants include: chokecherry, bitter cherry, Arizona rosewood, single-leaf ash, hoptree, and Arizona Sycamore.
Notes:
The Two-tailed Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Arizona. - Adults fly during spring and summer and there is 1 brood. Females lay eggs singly on the host plant. The caterpillar will fold the host plants leaves and tie them together with silk they will then eat from this structure. The pupae will over winter then emerge in May. - Found at my waterfall garden.
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