Papilionidae : Papilioninae
Heraclides oxynius Fabricius, 1775
Cuban Black Swallowtail
Heraclides oxynius Fabricius, 1775
Cuban Black Swallowtail
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 84-105mm. Unmistakable as it is the only all-black Swallowtail with with a row of white terminal spots on the trailing edge of both wings - these are pale yellow in females. There is also a sub-terminal row of red marks on both sides of the hindwings.
Range: Endemic to Cuba.
Status: In Cuba it is sparsely distributed and found throughout the island mainly in mountain woods.
Nectar Plants: Chromolaena odorata and Lantana.
Larval Foodplants: The larvae are gregarious and feed on Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae). By day they gather in large groups on the trunks of trees dispersing by night to feed.
Range: Endemic to Cuba.
Status: In Cuba it is sparsely distributed and found throughout the island mainly in mountain woods.
Nectar Plants: Chromolaena odorata and Lantana.
Larval Foodplants: The larvae are gregarious and feed on Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae). By day they gather in large groups on the trunks of trees dispersing by night to feed.