# Polydamas Swallowtail

*Battus polydamas*

Unlike most swallowtails, the Polydamas Swallowtail completely lacks the characteristic 'tails' on its hindwings.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Papilionidae › Battus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Subtropical forests, woodlands, fields, gardens, and urban parks.
- **Diet:** Adults drink nectar from flowers like lantana and shepherd's needle; larvae feed exclusively on pipevine (Aristolochia) leaves.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean
- **Size:** Wingspan of 7 to 12 cm (2.8 to 4.7 inches).
- **Lifespan:** 1 to 2 weeks as an adult butterfly.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use, habitat destruction, and the removal of native host plants.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and safe to observe at any distance. Do not handle roughly as their wings are fragile. Both caterpillars and adults are toxic if ingested due to their diet of pipevine; wash hands after handling and keep away from pets.

## About

Battus polydamas , also known as the gold rim swallowtail , the Polydamas swallowtail or the tailless swallowtail , is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae , published in 1758.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/ec60a6e2-0716-4419-8034-173909a902a3
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/68275
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battus polydamas
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/509903515/medium.jpg (Dennis Vollmar, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.