Astyalus Swallowtail

Astyalus Swallowtail

Papilio astyalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Curitiba

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

5 Verified sightings at Curitiba
309 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Astyalus Swallowtail

Papilio astyalus, the broad-banded swallowtail or Astyalus swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from Mexico south to Argentina. It is occasionally reported from southern Texas and rare strays can be found up to southern Arizona and northern Texas.

The wingspan is 117–120 mm. In the male the wings are black, on the obverse the forewings are crossed by a wide yellow band crossed by black veins. There is a small yellow macula in the cell and a series of yellow macules in the submarginal part. The hindwings bear tails, a yellow band in the extension of that of the forewings, submarginal yellow macules, and an orange-red ocellus surmounted by an iridescent blue lunule in the anal angle. On the reverse the wings have similar patterns but the cell of the fore wings is striped with yellow and the black part of the hind wings is smaller. The hindwings also bear a series of iridescent blue lunules surmounted by orange-red lunules.

The female is darker, and lacks the broad yellow band present in the male. On the obverse the forewings are dark brown, paler in the submarginal part and bear a series of submarginal yellow macules. The hindwings are dark brown with a series of submarginal red, iridescent blue and yellow macules, an orange ocellus in the anal angle and more reduced tails. The reverse is similar, but the blue spots are more reduced and are surmounted by orange-red lunules.

Male has yellow body below and flanks but black above, female has black body.Very similar to Papilio thersites. Adults are on wing from April to October. There are probably two generations per year. The larvae feed on the leaves of Citrus trees. Adults feed on the nectar of various flowers, including Lantana species. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
2 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montevideo 🇺🇾 Uruguay
~20%
2 Porto Alegre 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
3 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
4 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
5 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Astyalus Swallowtail in Curitiba?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Astyalus Swallowtail sighting in Curitiba on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 159th most-seen of the 177 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Astyalus Swallowtail in Curitiba?

September

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Astyalus Swallowtail in Curitiba on a given day, against under 5% in March–August and November–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Astyalus Swallowtail?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Astyalus Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Curitiba the best place to see an Astyalus Swallowtail?

3rd of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Astyalus Swallowtail sightings, Curitiba ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Montevideo (Uruguay, about 20%) and Porto Alegre (Brazil, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Astyalus Swallowtail live in Curitiba?

Same genus: Papilio

The closest relatives of the Astyalus Swallowtail that you can see in Curitiba (genus Papilio, Common Swallowtails) are Thoas Swallowtail (about 20%), Scamander Swallowtail (about 20%) and Ruby-Spotted Swallowtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Astyalus Swallowtail sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Astyalus Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Curitiba (5 verified sightings), 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.

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