• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

• Butterflies (Superfamily Papilionoidea)

• Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

• Swallowtails and Parnassians (Family Papilionidae)

• Swallowtails (Subfamily Papilioninae)

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Subfamily Papilioninae is the largest and most diverse subfamily of swallowtail butterflies within the family Papilionidae. It includes many of the world's most spectacular butterflies, such as the swallowtails, swordtails, birdwings, and cattlehearts. Members of this subfamily are typically medium to very large butterflies characterized by powerful flight, vivid coloration, and in many species, elongated tail-like extensions on the hindwings. Papilioninae occur throughout tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions worldwide, with their greatest diversity in tropical forests. The caterpillars possess a unique defensive organ called an osmeterium, a forked, retractable gland that emits strong odours to deter predators.