Black swallowtail larvae are often known as “parsley caterpillars” since that’s one of their most common host plants. They also host on dill, fennel, Queen Anne’s lace, and common rue.

Around this time last year, my wife noticed some black spots on the parsley and dill growing in our garden at home. I didn’t ...

Black swallowtail pupae overwinter in a chrysalis and emerge in spring. Around Boulder, adults will be flying in May, June and July. The average longevity of the adult form is 14 days, so adults ...

The black swallowtail is capable of having two to three broods per year in the northern portions of its range. Thus, adults of this species are easy to find during most of the summer. This species ...

The black swallowtail deserves to be chosen as state butterfly because it is “a full-time Michigan resident,” Meyer said— it’s the only species that can be found year-round and ...

I received an invitation to photograph a black swallowtail butterfly that had just emerged. It would linger only a short while before emerging, so I hurried over. The date was Oct. 13.

For many of us in the High Country, seeing beautiful butterflies fluttering through the air, or sitting on flowers, is a ...

This black swallowtail can be identified as a male because of the two rows of bold yellow spots and the fainter blue splatter marks toward the back of the wings. PHOTO BY BILL DANIELSON.

It’s Pollinator Week! A time to celebrate, bring awareness to, and enjoy the incredible variety of creatures that perform the ...

The male typically has darker black colors but doesn’t have the bluish hind wing and scales like the female. The forked appearance of the hindwings gives this butterfly the swallowtail name. The ...