black swallowtail
noun
: a usually dark-colored New World swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) having yellow spots on the wing margins and a black spot centered within a larger orange spot on the hind wing inner edge
Examples of black swallowtail in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dill is also host to the beautiful black swallowtail butterfly.
—
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025
For example, some swallowtail butterflies, particularly the black swallowtail, use plants in the parsley family as host plants.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024
If that weren’t enough, dill serves as a host plant to larvae of the gorgeous black swallowtail butterfly.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 June 2024
Swallowtail butterflies: In May, the Insect calendar noted that yellow and black swallowtail butterflies may be sighted on citrus trees.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
Vasas and her colleagues also captured the brief startle display of a black swallowtail caterpillar and saw for the first time that its hornlike defense appendages are UV-reflective.
—Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2024
Like the black swallowtail is a specialist on the carrot family.
—Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
Other action includes black swallowtails harvesting nectar from horesherb and seeking out nesting sites on dill or parsley, which the caterpillars will eat very quickly.
—Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Apr. 2023
Seems to be a black swallowtail.
—Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 6 Aug. 2020
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Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025
For example, some swallowtail butterflies, particularly the black swallowtail, use plants in the parsley family as host plants.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Sep. 2024
If that weren’t enough, dill serves as a host plant to larvae of the gorgeous black swallowtail butterfly.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 June 2024
Swallowtail butterflies: In May, the Insect calendar noted that yellow and black swallowtail butterflies may be sighted on citrus trees.
—Abigail Celaya, The Arizona Republic, 4 May 2024
Vasas and her colleagues also captured the brief startle display of a black swallowtail caterpillar and saw for the first time that its hornlike defense appendages are UV-reflective.
—Lauren Leffer, Scientific American, 23 Jan. 2024
Like the black swallowtail is a specialist on the carrot family.
—Emily Underwood, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023
Other action includes black swallowtails harvesting nectar from horesherb and seeking out nesting sites on dill or parsley, which the caterpillars will eat very quickly.
—Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 28 Apr. 2023
Seems to be a black swallowtail.
—Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, 6 Aug. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Black swallowtail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20swallowtail. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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