Caterpillar Identification Guide
Black Swallowtail
Genus-Species: Papilio polyxenes
Host Plants: Alexanders - Heart-leaved golden
alexander (Zizia aptera), Golden alexander (Zizia aurea), Yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima),
Sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) and Angelica
(Angelica atropurpurea)
Habitat: Open areas; fields, meadows and parks where
its larval hosts are found.
Comments: The Black Swallowtail is a common
butterfly in Wisconsin. It commonly feeds on many different members of the Parsley family,
including parsley, carrots, dill, and parsnip. It may also feed on Common Rue (Ruta graveolens),
a domesticated herb.
Caterpillars come in many colors, shapes, and sizes. Some caterpillars are quite hairy,
while others are smooth. Despite differences between species, though, all caterpillars
share certain morphological features.
Take this quick quiz and see how much you know about caterpillars. This quiz is intended for fun, in
a random-facts-can-be-cool kind of way.
How does this magic happen? Learn about metamorphosis - the process of transformation from an
immature form to an adult bitterfly.