Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor

Size:
Wingspan is 2 1/2 to 4 1/4 inches.

Similar Species:
Spicebush Swallowtail
Black Swallowtail
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Habitat:
Woodland borders, power line cuts, hardwood forests and gardens near hardwoods.

Range/Abundance:
Very common in the mountains, less common in the piedmont and rare or absent in coastal areas. The Blue Ridge Parkway and The Skyline Drive are the best places to see them because of the abundance of the host plant and milkweeds.


Flight Period:
Flies from early April into mid September.

Larval Host Plants:
Dutchman's Pipe Aristolochia macrophyilla and other Aristolochia species.

Comments:
This swallowtail almost always nectars while quivering making IDs difficult at times. Also tends to fly in from the forests and visit the garden briefly and return back to the forest.

These Pipevine Swallowtail photos were taken on July 13, 2002 in Bedford Co., VA near Peaks of Otter. The top pipevine is on Dogbane Apocynum cannabinum and the other two are on Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca.

In July of 2002 we found record numbers of pipevines at the Peaks of Otter in Bedford Co., VA. We estimated seeing 800 pipevines nectaring on every type of flower we observed.

Note the metallic blue on the hindwing, it can be seen usually only in good light as shown at right.

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