Bug FAQAstyalus Swallowtail
Heraclides astyalus · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Papilionidae
Also called: Broad-banded Swallowtail
Source: Wikipedia
The wingspan is about 117 to 120 mm and adults fly from April to October, probably in two generations per year. It lives from Mexico down through Argentina, with occasional records in southern Texas and stray sightings as far north as southern Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Females are darker and do not have the yellow band.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The wingspan measures roughly 117 to 120 millimetres.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of citrus trees. Adults drink nectar from various flowers, including lantana species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from April to October and probably produce two generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly between April and October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range lies in the Neotropical realm, extending from Mexico to Argentina.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
It is very similar to Papilio thersites.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 3 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, New Mexico.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are adult Astyalus Swallowtails active?
Adults are on the wing from April through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is this butterfly found?
It ranges from Mexico down to Argentina and is occasionally reported in southern Texas, with stray individuals as far north as southern Arizona.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell the male from the female?
Males have a broad yellow band on black forewings, while females are darker and lack the band.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Papilionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_astyalus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.