Papilio palamedes
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Papilio palamedes, the Palamedes swallowtail or laurel swallowtail, is a North American butterfly in the family Papilionidae. The upperside of the wings is blackish brown with both wings having a yellow postmedian band and a yellow submarginal band. There is a yellow bar at the end of the forewing cell. The underside of the wings is black with the forewing having a yellow postmedian band and a yellow submarginal band. The hindwing has a few colored bands; the first being cream; the second, orange; the third, blue; and the fourth, orange. There is a yellow streak on the inner margin of the hindwing which runs parallel to the body. The wingspan ranges from 4+1⁄2 to 5+1⁄8 inches (11 to 13 cm).
This species may be found in habitats such as cypress swamplands, coastal swamplands, wet riparian forests, bay forests, and savannas in the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico. Their longer tongues allow for specific plant-pollinator relationships with plant species such as Platanthera ciliaris in coastal-plain habitats.
The Palamedes swallowtail is encountered from May to October in southeastern Virginia and from March to December... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Palamedes Swallowtail sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 262 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July to October
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Palamedes Swallowtail in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 10% in November to February, the lowest months. Those are among Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in March.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Palamedes Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Palamedes Swallowtail sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Cumbres de Monterrey National Park (Mexico, about 20%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Palamedes Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (50 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
