I used to think that there were only one or two varieties of black-colored swallowtails, but as I learned there were more such species (some deliberating mimicking each other), I’d sometimes get confused and frustrated when trying to distinguish among them.
For example, I encountered this beautiful black swallowtail butterfly feeding on a Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) this past weekend at my local marsh. It is definitely an unusual circumstance when I can identify a flower, but not the insect.
So, I asked myself, is this a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail or a Pipevine Swallowtail or a Spicebush Swallowtail or a Black Swallowtail? How can you tell them apart, given they are all black and all have swallowtails?
While searching on the internet, I came across a wonderful blog posting on a site called Louisiana Naturalist that compared all four of these swallowtail species and pointed out clearly the distinguishing marks. Once I looked at the posting, it was pretty clear that “my” butterfly is a Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus). Why am I so confident? One of the identifying marks is the blue comet-like marking that interrupts the inner row of orange spots.
It’s interesting to see this butterfly feeding on the Cardinal Flower. The website of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas states that the Cardinal Flower depends on hummingbirds for pollination, because most insects find its long tubular flowers difficult to navigate. I suspect that butterflies play a role in pollinating these plants, even if they are not as efficient as bees would be (or maybe even hummingbirds).
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
It’s been a good year for various types of black swallowtails here in Ohio and after last year we’ve also been happy to see more Monarchs this summer.
It’s good to hear that there are lots of butterflies there. With the polar vortex of this past winter, I was afraid we would have another bad season for butterflies.
Looks like the wings are made of stained glass. Great picture.
The “comet” is a very interesting feature and, once one has taken note of it, it should be pretty easy to remember for future identification. Good research!
What butterflies will go through for attention.
What a beautiful butterfly.
I love the complementary color balance in this photo! Really lovely.
Isn’t it wonderful to discover new things about nature you never knew about? Lovely capture!
interesting to learn about the butterflies. love this composition and the colours
Thanks, Margo. With butterflies, as with your birds, it’s rare (but a welcome surprise) to get a nice uncluttered background.
That is a lovely butterfly Mike
Thanks, Bruce. The biggest challenge for me was in stopping motion, because this butterfly’s wings are in constant motion and it rarely perches. I was fortunate to stop the action in a way that showed the beautiful colors of its wings.
I have trouble identifying butterflies too. This one is a real beauty. Cardinal flowers aren’t real common, so you had a good day!
I saw the cardinal flowers in a number of locations in the areas surrounding the marsh as I was wandering about. I love the bright red color it the flower and the butterfly was a real bonus.
Great photo and I’m impressed you can identify any of them. Flowers I can do (mostly) insects not so much.
Thanks for this article and especially the link to Louisiana Naturalist. I had my first encounter with a spicebush swallowtail this week and wanted to double-check an app’s identification, and your article was the first search result that was of any use. (Lovely photo as well!)
Thanks, Smokey. I have gone back repeatedly to that article in Louisiana Naturalist when I photograph a dark swallowtail–I am getting a bit better at identifying my subjects, but always welcome tips on identification feature to distinguish between similar-looking species.