Diet

• Adults: Feed mainly on flower nectar, with Lantana camara being a documented nectar source. They also visit other flowering plants in open habitats.

• Caterpillars: Feed exclusively on pipevines (Aristolochia, family Aristolochiaceae).

• Young caterpillars may feed gregariously, with females laying clusters of roughly 10–14 eggs on young stems or growing tips of the host vine.

Range

• Battus polydamas is one of the most widespread swallowtails in the Americas, ranging from southern Texas and Florida through Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America as far south as Argentina.

• It occurs throughout much of Mexico, including the Pacific slope, making it well established in western Mexico.

• Around Zihua, Battus polydamas would likely be considered common to locally abundant, particularly wherever Aristolochia vines occur. Its ability to use numerous species of pipevine probably contributes substantially to its broad distribution.

Habitat

• Particularly characteristic of open woodland, forest edges, abandoned fields, disturbed areas, secondary forest, pastures, gardens and roadsides.

• It is less dependent on intact mature forest than many tropical swallowtails and can thrive in human-modified landscapes provided suitable Aristolochia vines remain.

• Around Zihua, look for it around dry-forest edges, overgrown lots, gardens, arroyos and secondary vegetation, especially where pipevines are growing.

Size

• Approximately 90–120 mm wingspan, making it a large butterfly. Unlike many swallowtails, however, it completely lacks the characteristic tails on the hindwings.