Swallowtail Butterfly
| Swallowtail butterflies |
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Anise Swallowtail
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| Author: | Latreille, 1802 |
| Type species: | Papilio machaon
("Common Yellow"
Swallowtail) |
| Diversity: | 26 genera
605 species |
| Genera |
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Subfamily Baroniinae
Baronia
Subfamily Parnassiinae
Archon
Hypermnestra
Parnassus
Luehdorfia
Bhutantis
Alancastria
Serecinus
Subfamily Papilioninae
Eurytides
Graphium
Iphiclides
Lamproptera
Mimoides
Protesilaus
Protographium
Teinopalpus
Atrophaneura
Battus
Byasa
Cressida
Euryades
Losaria
Ornithoptera
Pachliopta
Parides
Pharmacophagus
Trogonoptera
Troides
Chilasa
Meandrusa
Papilio
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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 genera of extant swallowtails are usually classified into three subfamilies, Baroniinae, Parnassiinae and Papilioninae, the latter two being further divided into tribes. An additional subfamily Praepapilioninae, has a single extinct member, known only from a single fossil.
The Oregon Swallowtail Butterfly is the state insect of Oregon; the
eastern tiger swallowtail is the state insect of Virginia. Species include External linksTree of Life Web pagerevised GloBIS/GART species checklist
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