Palamedes Swallowtail - Alabama Butterfly Atlas

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Palamedes Swallowtails are known as swamp butterflies, but they may more accurately be described as bay butterflies since they can be expected wherever Swamp Bay and Red Bay (their primary host plants) flourish. While Swamp Bay is aptly named, Red Bay also grows in drier woodlands, allowing Palamedes Swallowtails to fly beyond the wetlands.

Palamedes Swallowtails are graceful in flight, never fluttery. Closely related to Spicebush Swallowtails, the family resemblance is strongest in the larval stages. Both begin life in typical swallowtail bird-dropping disguises, both morph into small snake or tree frog lookalikes, and both turn bright banana yellow before pupation. Unlike Spicebush Swallowtail larvae, Palamedes caterpillars are apt to rest exposed on upper leaf surfaces. This behavior is not as risky as it seems, because bay shrubs are almost always disfigured by Red Bay Psyllid larvae, tiny nymphs whose saliva causes leaf margins to swell and curl into popcorn-like galls. Harmless to the plant, these two-toned, bumpy formations provide additional protective camouflage for two-toned, bumpy Palamedes caterpillars.

Unfortunately, these host-plant specialist swallowtails face a fast-moving threat. Swamp and Red Bays are succumbing by the thousands to a vascular wilt pathogen in the same genus as the tree-killing Dutch Elm disease. It is carried by Red Bay Ambrosia Beetles, which were introduced from Southeast Asia into the United States in 2002. Laurel wilt is now in Alabama and has moved from the coast into central Alabama counties. Although there is massive die-back, mature bays usually re-sprout from their bases, and Palamedes Swallowtails make use of this new growth. How long the plants will regenerate is not known. Some individual plants appear to be unaffected. Developing selections of wilt-resistant bays for use in reforestation may be the most promising method to manage the pathogen since there is no known cure.

Palamedes Swallowtails occur in southeastern coastal states, primarily in the coastal plain. They are documented in the lower half of Alabama, but populations are largest in coastal counties.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat. The High Count information shows the highest numbers recorded for this species as well as when and where they occurred.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Sightings in the following counties: Autauga, Baldwin, Bibb, Bullock, Butler, Chilton, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Escambia, Geneva, Hale, Henry, Mobile, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Washington, Wilcox

Sightings in the past 5 years
Sightings in the past 5 - 10 years
Sightings more than 10 years ago

High count(s):

45 - Baldwin - 9/3/2016
25 - Baldwin - 9/9/2023
25 - Washington - 6/27/2024

View county names by moving the mouse over a county or view a map with county names

Jan				Feb				Mar				Apr				May				Jun				Jul				Aug				Sep				Oct				Nov				Dec
1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4	1	2	3	4
1			1				23	22	53	59	108	75	59	50	48	28	4	1	25	15	42	39	118	84	63	28	51	44	61	91	70	105	111	111	59	10	20	1	2	1	2

Habitat

Swamps, bay forests, pocosins, damp woodlands, savannas, flatwoods (if Swamp or Red Bay is present)

Palamedes Swallowtail (*Pterourus palamedes*)

County

© Sara Bright

Coastal bottomland with Red Bay

Host Plants

Primarily trees/shrubs in genus Tamala (formerly Persea). The exotic, invasive Camphor Tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is occassionally reported. All are members of the Laurel family (Lauraceae). Records indicating use of Sweet Bay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)) are erroneous. Females will not lay eggs on it, and larvae do not eat it. Chemicals extracted from it are reportedly toxic to first instar caterpillars.

The following have been documented in Alabama:

For more information about these plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the links above.

Landscaping Ideas

Swallowtails are avid nectarers and are especially attracted to native wildflowers such as milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), Joe Pye Weeds (Eutrochium spp.), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), blazing stars (Liatris spp.), and phloxes (Phlox spp.). Flowering trees and shrubs such as Chickasaw and American Plum (Prunus angustifolia and P. americana), Coastal Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) and native azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) are also important nectar sources.

Unfortunately, due to the spread of laurel wilt, adding Red or Swamp Bay to the landscape is a risky proposition. There is no assurance that the shrubs will live.

Palamedes Swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes) Photos

Click on individual photos to view a larger version that includes photo credits, county, and date.
Photos with comments are indicated by a small, tan dot on the bottom right.