Palamedes Swallowtail Butterflies in Northeast Florida Landscapes ( Pterourus palamedes)
Field Identification: Palamedes swallowtails look very similar to many other dark swallowtial butterflies. A quick and easy distinction is Palamedes butterflies have a striped body instead of a speckled body and have a small yellow stripe parallel to the body on both the male and the female butterfly on the underside of the hindwing. They are a very dark brown in color with yellow bands and are edged in yellow spots on the forewing visible on both sides of the wings. The wingspan that ranges from 7.5-11 cm with tails present on the hindwing.
Host Plants for Caterpillars include , Bay laurel, Red bay, Swamp Bay, Pondbay, silkbay and Spicebush.
Habitats for the Palamedes Swallowtial butterfly include flatwoods and hammocks throughout Florida with the exclusion of the southernmost parts of the state. They are considered a common butterfly in most of Florida.