Dragon swallowtail
Its caterpillars feed on only one plant, a pipevine, and this narrow diet has made the swallowtail vulnerable wherever the vine disappears.
| Where | Open scrubby ground near pipevine |
|---|---|
| Size | 40 to 90 mm wingspan, smaller in spring |
| When | February and April to October |
The Dragon swallowtail has pale, whitish wings crossed by fine black lines, with a row of red spots and blue spots along the hindwing margin and a pair of long, slender tails. Summer generation adults are larger and more strongly marked than the smaller spring generation.
Caterpillars feed only on northern pipevine, and the species has become locally vulnerable in parts of its range as this host vine is lost to land clearing. Adults fly over open, scrubby ground near the host plant.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
White, Black, Red
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Entirely black or dark brown with red spots and no white areas, unlike the boldly white and black patterned Dragon swallowtail.
Questions
Is the Dragon swallowtail dangerous to people?
Harmless to people; does not bite or sting.
When can you see the Dragon swallowtail?
The Dragon swallowtail can be seen from February and April to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Олег Кудров, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Swallowtails›Sericinus
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.