It’s a diverse family, with more than 500 swallowtail butterfly species fluttering over six continents. Most are tropical, but about 25 kinds are found regularly in the United States and Canada.

Enjoy these fascinating swallowtail butterfly facts. A female black swallowtail can lay up to 400 eggs in her short life.

Black and white stripes combined with a knobbly body make the caterpillar look remarkably like bird droppings. This unappetising outfit is a clever ploy to hide in plain sight, a trick used by ...

Here, RSPB volunteer Jenna explains why the magnificent Swallowtail butterfly is so special. Sophie Okonedo and Mark Rylance star in the first of Steve Waters’s seasonal dramas following the ...