Papilionidae : Papilioninae
Pterourus palamedes (Drury, 1773)
Palamedes Swallowtail
Pterourus palamedes (Drury, 1773)
Palamedes Swallowtail
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 98-140mm. Sexually dimorphic with males smaller and darker than females and having a short yellow bar half way along the forewing near the costa, this is lacking in females. The upperside is similar to Poey's Swallowtail Heraclides caiguanabus and Cuban Black Swallowtail Heraclides oxynius but it has two rows of yellow spots on the upper wings rather than one. It most closely resembles Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes which is rather smaller and rare and in recent times has been seen only in Habana Province. P. polyxenes lacks the diagonal yellow cross-bar near the base of the underside of the hindwing.
Range: SE United States and Florida.
Status: A rare straggler to Cuba where it occasionally turns up after northerly winds.
Nectar Plants: Many flowers and males also take moisture on the ground.
Larval Foodplants: On the mainland the foodplants are Red Bay Persea borbonia, Swamp Bay Persea palustris and White Sassafras Sassafras albidum.
Range: SE United States and Florida.
Status: A rare straggler to Cuba where it occasionally turns up after northerly winds.
Nectar Plants: Many flowers and males also take moisture on the ground.
Larval Foodplants: On the mainland the foodplants are Red Bay Persea borbonia, Swamp Bay Persea palustris and White Sassafras Sassafras albidum.
