Kinds of Swallowtail Butterflies

Black Swallowtail

• The black swallowtail is recognized by its primarily black body with yellow markings close to the margins of the fore and hind wings according to the AgriLife Extension of the Texas A&M System. A small amount of blue and red can be seen on the hind wings. The wingspan of the black swallowtail can be as much as 4 1/2 inches. Swallowtails were named for the resemblance to swallows because of their forked hind wings. Although all of the species found in Michigan have these forked tails, some North American species do not.

Tiger Swallowtail

• The tiger swallowtail is so named for its tiger-like coloring. Males are yellow with a black border and stripes. While males can have some blue on the hind wings, the females have more significant blue scaling. Some females have black stripes on a background of a lighter shade of black on the underside. Tiger swallowtails can be found in forests and parks, near rivers and in suburban and urban locations. They have a wingspan of 3 1/2 to 5 inches.

Giant Swallowtail

• The Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida notes that the exotic looking giant swallowtail is abundant in Florida but is found throughout the United States. It is also found in Canada and Mexico. Its dorsal wings are black with a diagonal yellow bar on the fore wings. The ventral wings are mainly yellow. The wingspan for males is 4.6 to 6.9 inches and females can span 5.3 to 7.4 inches.

  During its caterpillar stage it is called "orangedog" because it often feeds on citrus foliage. They are sometimes considered pests at this stage according to the University of Florida.

Schaus Swallowtail

• The Schaus swallowtail, an endangered species since 1984, resembles the giant swallowtail. It is dark brown with a narrow yellow wing band and border. The Butterfly Conservation Initiative indicates that it is found only in subtropical dry forests in Florida locations such as northern Key Largo, Key Biscayne Park and Upper Matecumbe Key. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a recovery team that is making efforts to conserve and restore the Schaus swallowtail population.

Green Banded Swallowtail

• The green banded swallowtail is a fast flying butterfly. It has green scales on either side of its main bands. When the butterfly first emerges from its cocoon, it has bronze wings that change to green within about 15 minutes. The Magic of Life Butterfly House notes that its origin is southeast Asia and that it usually doesn't last longer than one week.