By Saundra McBrearty
Swallowtail butterflies look like art decorating our landscape. Ohio is home to six species of Swallowtail butterflies. Large and brilliantly colored, each one is fun to identify and worthy of an introduction. Swallowtail butterflies belong to the family Papilionidae which includes more than 550 species distributed worldwide, 30 species live in North America, and as mentioned, Ohio is home to six. Most butterflies in this family are tropical and includes the bird wing butterflies, the largest butterflies in the world, which measure a wingspan of almost 10 inches!
Swallowtail butterflies are named for their forked tail extensions featured on their hind wings, which may be seen while the butterfly is resting with its wings spread. The feature resembles the tails of swallow family of birds.
Attracting Swallowtail butterflies
Swallowtail butterflies feed on flowers and can often be found in mud or damp sand where they sip dissolved minerals and salt. They are vulnerable while doing this and can become food for Red-winged blackbirds, Green darner dragonfly, Chinese Mantis, or skunk. Luckily, their bright colors offer protection from predators by mimicking noxious tasting animals.
Below are five more species of Swallowtail butterflies which live in Ohio. Enjoy the brilliance!
