Blue Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly

The Pipevine Swallowtail or Blue Swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. The butterflies are black with iridescent blue hind wings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. The black or red caterpillars feed on Aristolochia species, making them poisonous as both larvae and adults, while the adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers.
Description
The upper surface of the hind wings are an iridescent blue or blue-green with pale, arrow-head markings. Males have brighter metallic regions than females. The underside of the hind wing has seven orange submarginal spots surrounded by iridescent blue. Both surfaces of the fore wings are black or dull blackish-brown. Individuals of the Northern California subspecies, Battus philenor hirsuta, are smaller and hairier. Pipevine Swallowtails can have a wingspan to up to three and a half inches. Battus philenor can usually be found in fields, meadows, gardens, parks, open woods, roadsides and stream sides.