The swallowtail butterflies form the family Papilionidae. These are large, colourful butterflies. There are at least 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica. The family includes the largest butterflies in the world, the birdwing butterflies of Australasia (genus Troides).
Swallowtails differ from all other butterflies in a number of anatomical traits. Most notably, their caterpillars possess a unique organ behind their heads, called the osmeterium. Normally hidden, this forked structure can be everted when the caterpillar is threatened, and used to emit a foul-smelling secretion containing terpenes.
The Zebra Swallowtailbutterfly is a common butterfly with distinctive fl and white markings and elongated tails on its hindwings It also has some small red and blue hindwing markings and strongly-scalloped hindwing margins.
They are called swallowtails because they have long "tails" on their hindwings which look a bit like the long, pointed tails of swallows (a type of bird).
The Zebra Swallowtail is found from Southern Ontario, Canada, Minnesota and Wisconsin to New England to Florida and the Gulf States.
The giant swallowtail is widely distributed throughout the American continent.
Adult giant swallowtails are large butterflies with a forewing span of 4.6 to 6.9 cm (avg.
The dorsal wing surfaces of the butterfly are fl with a striking diagonal yellow bar across the forewings The ventral wing surfaces are primarily yellow.
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