Spicebush Swallowtail vs Apollo Butterfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spicebush Swallowtail Apollo Butterfly
Scientific Name Papilio troilus Parnassius apollo
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Papilionidae
Size Wingspan 90-130mm 62-86 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Herbivores Omnivores
Regions North America Mountain ranges of Europe and central Asia
Conservation Least Concern Vulnerable

Spicebush Swallowtail

A dark swallowtail butterfly with blue-green hindwing scaling and orange spots. Its caterpillar has large false eyespots making it resemble a small snake.

💡

Did You Know?

The young caterpillar mimics a bird dropping while the older caterpillar switches to mimicking a green tree snake.

Apollo Butterfly

A large white butterfly with translucent wings bearing red and black eyespots, found on mountain slopes. It is one of Europe's most iconic and threatened montane species.

💡

Did You Know?

After mating, the male deposits a waxy plug called a sphragis on the female to prevent rival matings.