Spicebush Swallowtail Papilio troilus
Photo credit: David Haskell
Caterpillar host plants: Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) predominantly; also Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), Devil's walking stick (Aralia spinosa) Adult food plants: Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), Thistles (Cirsium altissimum sp.), Milkweed (Asclepias sp.), Azalea (Rhododendron sp.), Dogbane (a.k.a. Indian hemp, Apocynum cannabinum), Lantana (Lantana sp.)
Identification: Two rows of red spots under hindwing; on surface, row of blue/green spots along hind edge of wings; females have more blue-green markings, while males have more blue. Abundance: Common Butterflies and caterpillars breathe with the help of spiracles and trachea. Spiracles are the small openings that line the body and allow the oxygen to enter. The trachea are the bodies’ inner tubes that carry this oxygen deeper into the body. - http://butterflywebsite.com/faq.cfm#q25
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