Black Swallowtail

Open areas including fields, meadows, parks, gardens, and roadsides across North America.

Adults feed on nectar from flowers like butterfly bush, milkweed, and clover. Larvae (caterpillars) eat plants in the parsley family (Apiaceae), such as dill, fennel, and carrots.

Diurnal flyers that exhibit 'hill-topping' behavior where males seek high ground to find mates. They undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Benefits the ecosystem as a significant pollinator. They pose no risk to humans, though caterpillars can occasionally be minor pests in vegetable gardens.