Best Papilionidae

The Ulysses butterfly is a large Australian swallowtail butterfly distinguished by its brilliant iridescent blue wings. This coloration, produced by structural interference rather than pigmentation, makes it one of the most vividly colored butterflies globally. Males display this intense blue during...

The Emerald Swallowtail is a striking butterfly native to Asia. It’s notable for its vibrant iridescent green wings, a coloration achieved through structural color rather than pigment. This species belongs to the Papilionidae family and is particularly attractive to lepidopterists and those interest...

The Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing is a large butterfly native to Borneo. It's notable for its striking black and red coloration, making it one of Southeast Asia’s largest butterflies. Belonging to the Papilionidae family, this species is primarily observed by lepidopterists and those interested in Bornean...

The Scarlet Mormon is a swallowtail butterfly found exclusively in the Philippines. It’s notable due to significant differences between males and females – the vibrant black and red coloration of the adults provides striking visual contrast. This species belongs to the Papilionidae family and is pri...

The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly is a distinctive species of lepidopteran belonging to the Papilionidae family. Its prominent black and white stripes are most notably associated with its reliance on pawpaw trees for larval development. This butterfly is common in eastern North America and serves as a...

The Common Birdwing is a large butterfly widespread across Southeast Asia, notable for its striking contrast of black forewings and bright yellow hindwings.

The African Giant Swallowtail is a vast butterfly native to Central Africa, notable for having the largest wingspan of any butterfly on the continent, reaching up to 23 cm.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a familiar North American butterfly known for its yellow and black striped wings, and is the state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, and South Carolina.

The Great Yellow Mormon is a large butterfly native to Southeast Asia, renowned for having numerous geographical subspecies and striking female polymorphism.

The Pipevine Swallowtail is a poisonous North American butterfly recognized by its iridescent blue hindwings, which serve as a warning signal to predators due to its toxic diet.

The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly in North America, featuring a wingspan up to 6 inches, and is widely known as an agricultural pest on citrus crops.

The Western Tiger Swallowtail is a common butterfly of western North America, easily recognized by its bright yellow wings with black stripes and its preference for riparian habitats.

The Old World Swallowtail is a widely distributed butterfly across Europe and Asia, notable for being one of the few species to inhabit the high Arctic environment.

The Tailed Jay is a tropical swallowtail butterfly found in Southeast Asia and Australia, recognized by its distinctive green wing spots and rapid, restless flight.

The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is a butterfly native to North America, notable for its adaptation to colder climates and its widespread presence across Canada and Alaska.

The Spicebush Swallowtail is a common black swallowtail butterfly found in eastern North America, notable for its reliance on spicebush and sassafras plants during its larval stage.

The Scarce Swallowtail (Iphiclides podalirius) is a striking Palearctic butterfly known for its distinctive tiger-striped wings and long tail extensions, commonly found across Europe and Asia.

The Two-tailed Swallowtail is a large North American butterfly notable for having two prominent tails on each hindwing and being the state butterfly of Arizona.

The Black Swallowtail is a widespread butterfly found across North America, distinguished by its dark wings and status as the state butterfly of Oklahoma and New Jersey.

The Common Rose Butterfly is a widespread swallowtail species found across Asia, notable for the bright red crescents on its hindwings which serve as a defense mechanism.

Schaus' Swallowtail is an endangered butterfly native to Florida, notable for being one of the few insects protected under the US Endangered Species Act since 1984.

The Pale Swallowtail is a North American butterfly known for its distinctive creamy-white wings with black stripes, often found in mountainous regions and along the Pacific coast.

The Lime Butterfly is a widespread Asian swallowtail species, notable for being a major agricultural pest to citrus crops throughout India and Southeast Asia.

The Thoas Swallowtail is a large butterfly found across the Americas, often confused with the Giant Swallowtail, and is notable for its yellow and black wing patterns.

The Corsican Swallowtail (Papilio hospiton) is a rare butterfly endemic to the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, notable for its restricted geographic range and status as a protected species.

The Ornythion Swallowtail is a butterfly native to Central and South America, notable for its close resemblance to the Thoas Swallowtail and its dark, broad wing margins.

The Anise Swallowtail is a North American butterfly known for its yellow and black markings, relying heavily on plants in the carrot family for its larval diet.

The Batwing Butterfly is an Asian insect known for its distinctive, dark, bat-like wing profile, often featuring striking red or pink spots along its hindwing margins.

The Santa Lucia Swallowtail is a butterfly endemic to the Caribbean, specifically associated with the Lesser Antilles and notable for its localized island distribution.