• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Swallowtails
• Swallowtails
  • Pipevine Swallowtail
  • Zebra Swallowtail
  • Black Swallowtail
  • Giant Swallowtail
  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
  • Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
  • Spicebush Swallowtail

Pipevine Swallowtail

(Battus philenor)

The Pipevine Swallowtail is an uncommon butterfly in Wisconsin. It feeds solely on Aristolochia sp., Pipevines, none of which are native to Wisconsin. Records of this species in Wisconsin are mainly associated with plantings of Dutchmans Pipevine. The Wisconsin Entomological Society newsletter from March 2002 has two articles about colonies of this species being found in 2001, one in Madison and the other in Milwaukee. In 2007 two Pipevine Swallowtails were seen in Madison laying eggs on Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa) on June 7 and on June 8 one was observed in Necedah NWR. Three other reports have been received in July from Madison and in late July there were caterpillars growing in Plover on Aristolochia macrophylla, a plant that has been established at this site for over thirty years without previously noticeable caterpillar damage to the leaves.

Identifying characteristics: Above: black, with a strong blue-green irridescence, more pronounced in the male, and a row of white, submarginal spots on both wings. Below: very distinct submarginal row of orange spots, ringed with black, on an irridescent blue-green background.

Similar species: The species would most likely be confused with the Pipevine Swallowtail are the Spicebush Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, the female, black-form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, or the Red-spotted Purple, all of which are thought to mimic the Pipevine Swallowtail. The Spicebush and the Black Swallowtail have distinct double rows of orange spots below, while the female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has only a single marginal row and little iridescence. The Red-spotted Purple might also be confused with this species but has no tails and is considerably smaller.

Habitat: Open areas near woodlands where the larval hostplants grow.

Flight: Two generations; late May/June and then in July with adults flying through August.

Abundance: Rare. A stray that most likely is associated with its larval hostplants Pipevines. This species overwinters as a chrysalis and possibly in most years cannot survive the winters in Wisconsin. In Ebner’s “Butterflies of Wisconsin” he notes that there was a colony near Oostburg and “was known to flourish for many years”. Evidently this butterfly can survive some Wisconsin winters. In the Summer 2001 American Butterflies there is an article called “The Pipe-dream Project” in which they suggest that planting pipevines could help in increasing the distribution and abundance of this species in a similar manner that Bluebird houses have aided that species. Since their host plants do not grow here naturally, plantings of acceptable cultivated varieties of pipevines would be useful. I am hoping to plant Aristolochia macrophylla in the spring of 2008, as this species was able to survive for over thirty years without any special wintering consideration in Plover, Wisconsin.

Recent Pipevine Swallowtail Sightings

Date seen	County	Reported by
07–13–2008	Portage	Sharon Knopf

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