Bug FAQPolydamas Swallowtail
Battus polydamas · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Papilionidae
Also called: Gold Rim Swallowtail, Tailless Swallowtail
The Polydamas swallowtail has a wingspan of about 84 to 110 mm and its upper wings are black with a wide band of yellow spots; the underside shows the same forewing pattern and red lunules on the hindwings. It lives in open woodlands, forest edges, abandoned fields and sometimes gardens, ranging from the southern United States through Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The larvae feed only on Aristolochia plants, using the plants' toxic acids to become unpalatable, and the species flies from April to November in the north and year-round in the tropics.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 84 to 110 mm, not counting the tail.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found mainly in open woodlands, forest edges, abandoned fields, and occasionally gardens with host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat only Aristolochia species, extracting toxic aristolochic acids to become unpalatable.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In tropical areas the butterfly is active year-round, while in the north it is seen April through November.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Also called the gold-rim swallowtail, Polydamas swallowtail, or tailless swallowtail, belonging to the Papilionidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 6 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Texas, Arizona, California, Kansas, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see them?
In northern areas they appear from April to November; in tropical regions they can be seen throughout the year.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I identify a Polydamas swallowtail?
Look for a black upper wing with a wide band of yellow spots and red lunules on the underside of the hindwings.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Papilionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battus_polydamas
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.