A grand and beautiful butterfly, the Spicebush Swallowtail takes nectar from Joe-Pye weed, jewelweed, and honeysuckle. Like black female Tigers, it mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail.

description 3 1/2-4 1/2" (89-114 mm). Both sexes black-brown above with cream-white to cream-yellow spots around FW outer margin; HW above black at base, with 1 bright orange spot on costa, 1 on trailing edge. Male HW above is broadly clouded with diffuse but brilliant blue-green (rarely blue) between spots. Series of sharply defined, pale blue-green lunules runs around outer curve of wing. Female bluer above than male; HW has broad cloud of dark green and blue scales and lime-green lunules. Below, HW of both sexes has 2 curved rows of bright orange-red spots (1 around margin; 1 parallel but midwing), enclosing area heavily spotted with blue. 1 rounded black tail on HW.

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