Nancy took this shot of a lovely Swallowtail Butterfly enjoying the sweet nectar of our butterfly bush. We have had many visitors to this pollinator-attracting plant, even a few Monarchs, but by far, the most common is the Swallowtail Butterfly. Swallowtails look almost exactly like a monarch, except for its forked tail-like protrusions. That’s the easiest way to distinguish the two.
There are over 500 species of Swallowtail Butterflies, found on every continent except Antarctica. Most are tropical, but about 25 kinds are found regularly in the United States and Canada. No matter where you live, you can see these butterflies during the warmer months of the year.
The Swallowtail Caterpillars are also interesting and colorful critters. In some species, the caterpillar is green with two large round spots on the swollen front end that look like the eyes of a snake. This may startle birds enough to leave the larvae alone.
Swallowtail larvae have one more trick. They all have a Y-shaped organ called an osmeterium tucked into a cavity just behind their head. If the caterpillar is threatened, the fleshy, orange osmeterium pops out. It looks a little like the forked tongue of a snake, and it carries a smell that’s foul enough to repel some predators.
While Monarch populations are dwindling, Swallowtails seem to be holding their own. But for the sake of all butterflies, be sure to plant milkweed and butterfly bushes in your yard.
