The Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly and its Native Host Plants

By Mary Lee Epps, Jefferson Chapter

I decided to write this article for our chapter Newsletter, The Declaration, because of an experience I had two years ago.

On a family outing to the Dripping Rock area of the Blue Ridge Parkway, we explored a trail that leads from the west side of the Parkway. After a relatively short walk, we came to a grove of fringe trees and an overlook with a grand view of the Shenandoah Valley. I had been to that place before in May when the fringe trees were in bloom, but this was the beginning of July, and we kept going along the west side of the mountain. There were no spectacular views, but there were great numbers of butterfly chrysalises.

Butterfly chrysalises were clinging to bark and twigs, but most were fastened with delicate silk threads to large rock outcroppings. We saw no butterflies, but there were occasional caterpillars and many pipevine host plants. These were the chrysalises and caterpillars of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly.

The pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) is a beautiful butterfly with iridescent blue on the back when the wings are open and large orange spots that become visible when the wings are folded.

Pipeline Swallowtail Butterflies Mating
Photo by Mary Jane Epps

It is distasteful or toxic to many predators thanks to the aristolochic acids in the caterpillar’s host plants, which include all species in the Aristolochia genus that are native to the butterfly’s range (much of the eastern and central U.S. with an isolated population in California). Only two species of Aristolochia are native to Virginia — pipevine, Aristolochia macrophylla, and Virginia snakeroot, Aristolochia serpentaria. (Note genera based on USDA Plant Database)

In Virginia, pipevine is found mainly in the mountains as far north as Rockingham County. It is a high-climbing, woody, twining vine which can reach 30 feet or more and has large, heart-shaped leaves, but the really remarkable feature is the flower. It is mauve colored and shaped something like a curved pipe stem and bowl sometimes called the Dutchman’s-pipe.

Pipevine Flower and Leaves
Photo by Mary Lee Epps

Like all Aristolochia species, pipevine also has a very interesting pollination mechanism. When the flowers first open, the stigma is receptive, but the stamens are immature and not releasing pollen. Small flies, dusted with pollen from another flower, enter the newly opened bloom, deposit pollen on the stigma, but then are trapped inside by downward-sloping hairs and slippery walls. On the second day and after pollination, the anthers release their pollen and the hairs begin to wither, allowing the fly, now dusted with fresh pollen from this flower, to escape.

The second native Virginia host plant, Virginia snakeroot, is found throughout the Commonwealth. It is a small herbaceous, woodland plant that is easily overlooked, but it too has a flower similar to that of pipevine, although not quite so curved in shape and located near the base of the plant where it can be hard to see.

Virginia Snakeroot Bloom
Photo by Mary Lee Epps

The aristolochic acids in these host plants protect the pipevine swallowtail eggs, caterpillars, and adult butterflies. Both the caterpillars and adult butterflies can secrete a distasteful liquid that deters some parasitoids, birds, and other predators. Both mature caterpillars and adults also have tough skins, giving the caterpillars time to secrete the liquid and allowing adults to survive being tasted by a predator. The coloration of both caterpillars and adult butterflies works to warn away vertebrate predators. Some other butterfly species, including both the spicebush butterfly and the red-spotted purple, have taken advantage of this by mimicking the pipevine swallowtail’s coloring.

Immature Pipeline Swallowtail Caterpillar
Photo by Mary Lee Epps

In Virginia, the pipevine swallowtail has two generations a year. Eggs are laid in small groups on young foliage or stems at the base of leaves. In their early instars, the caterpillars are gregarious. However, as they mature, they become solitary. Their coloration also changes. In our area the early instars are reddish while they later normally darken to nearly black with bright orange-yellow spots. Chrysalises may be brown or green, although brown tends to predominate. This is certainly what we found on our hike.

Sources and Further Information:

Watch Mary Lee’s Zoom presentation on the Pipevine Swallowtail on May 20, 2021 to the VNPS John Clayton Chapter.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Summer, 2020 edition of The Declaration, the newsletter of the Jefferson Chapter of the VNPS.

8 Comments

  1. Barbara Yeaman on December 19, 2020 at 11:37 am

    Thank you Mary Lee for these great photographs. I don’t think I would ever see the Snakeroot flower … not in a million years. Your vision and camera have made it come to life for me. Now, at least, I know what to look for, and I can better understand it’s life cycle.

    • Donna Hull on May 12, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      I have a pipevine/birthwort volunteering to grow in several spots! I finally (today) noticed one delicate, very small flower on 2 of the plants! I think it is a Cory’s Pipevine

  2. John on August 7, 2021 at 7:48 am

    Great article,always wanted pipeline since first seeing one on Long Island at Bayard Cutting arboretum ,moved to Wmbg Va and finally ordered and planted 2 vines,Slow for first couple of years then took off.Bigger each year,like to b moist.Waited and waited and finally 2 weeks ago saw female laying eggs all over vine,followed by the caterpillars.Growing fast and eating like crazy.Looking forward to chrysalis,now know prob brown thank you

  3. Lucy Burton on August 9, 2021 at 9:26 am

    I am so enjoying this year discovering caterpillars that all seem to be swallowtails. The dark red spiky caterpillar I saw and 3-4 in my rue plant have brought me joy. I even hatched 2 in my kitchen off of some clippings unawares of the eggs. I took them out to my rue, where they have become mature and happy.

    • Jayne on December 27, 2021 at 3:21 am

      The Rue plant is a host plant for 3 different types of butterflies. The Black Swallowtail, Anise Swallowtail and the Giant Swallowtail. These butterflies also use other plants but it is unusual to have so many use the same plant. They must be such a joy to have and watch in the yard. Good thing Rue can grow quickly with so much trimming being done by the babies.

  4. Aaron Eichorst on August 30, 2021 at 7:32 am

    We have had several pipevine caterperillars on our Aristolochia this past month August. They have all disappeared this past week August 27 – I presume to transform in their chrysalis. Will they emerge from their chrysalis this fall or next spring?

    • Glenda Loth on May 23, 2023 at 11:09 am

      I have lots of the big black caterpillars with orange stripes on my pipe one But can’t find any chrysalis on the plant any where. What’s happening to my beautiful caterpillars?

  5. Laura S on June 10, 2023 at 4:52 pm

    You might want to do a little research before trying to raise these plants for pipevine swallowtails. I bought 3 Virginia snakeroot plants several years ago. After I planted them I found a larval host data base which says pipeline swallowtails are not generally found in Fairfax County. Only one of the plants has survived and it just bloomed for the second year in a row. I tried harvesting the seeds last year but none germinated.

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