Two-tailed Swallowtail

Papilio multicaudata

OrderLepidoptera

FamilyPapilionidae

HabitatWooded canyons, streamsides, and foothills in the West

SeasonSpring through early fall

LocationDavis Mountains Preserve, Madera Canyon Road, Texas, Jeff Davis County, Texas

Sizewingspan ~3.5-5 in / 9-13 cm

DietAdults nectar on many flowers; caterpillars eat ash, chokecherry, and hop tree

ConservationSecure (NatureServe)

CameraNikon Z9Lens400mmAperturef/8Shutter1/2500ISO800

A Two-tailed Swallowtail floating through the canyon at the Davis Mountains Preserve.

About the Two-tailed Swallowtail

The Two-tailed Swallowtail is one of the largest butterflies in North America. It looks like a tiger swallowtail at first glance, with yellow wings and black stripes, but each hindwing ends in two tails instead of one, and the black stripes are narrower.

It is a butterfly of western canyons and foothills. Males patrol up and down shaded drainages looking for females and often gather at damp ground to drink minerals. Its caterpillars feed on ash, hop tree, and chokecherry, all common in the canyons of the Trans-Pecos.

This one was floating through the oak canyon in the Davis Mountains Preserve on June 15, 2023.

Want to see a Two-tailed Swallowtail in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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