Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) is a fairly black swallowtail butterfly found in North America. It is the state butterfly of Mississippi. Adults can be identified by their spoon-shaped tails and by their bright green (male) or iridescent blue (female) hind-wings. Ivory spots may be visible on the forewings, and orange spots may appear on the hindwings. Wingspan may be 3 to 4 inches.
The caterpillars live in folded leaf shelters and eat the leaves of the sassafras or spicebush. Adults consume a variety of nectars, including those from azalea, Japanese honeysuckle, milkweed, and thistle flowers. Both sexes are thought to be edible mimics of the distasteful Pipevine Swallowtail.