Androgeus Swallowtail

Papilio androgeus ranges from the southern United States and Mexico through Central America and into parts of South America. That broad range is one reason regional forms can look different even though the species name stays the same.

Males are predominantly yellow with black markings, matching the classic description of Papilio androgeus. Females occur in different color forms, so a yellow male is usually easier to identify than a female from a single photograph.

The larvae use plants in the citrus family, Rutaceae, including citrus and related host plants. This links Papilio androgeus to gardens and woodland edges where its host plants grow, but it does not make every citrus tree a guaranteed breeding site.

The species has female forms with different amounts of yellow and black, a type of sexual color variation that complicates field identification. The male pattern is mostly yellow with black markings, while females may be yellow or much darker.