Here is a beautiful zebra swallowtail showing off its colours

Today I want to write about a beautiful butterfly called the zebra swallowtail.

Here are five interesting facts about them:

1. These beautiful butterflies have a wingspan of up to 10 cm across.  Adults only live for about 6 months.
2. They can have two to three broods per year and the eggs of the zebra swallowtail are laid singly underneath pawpaw leaves.  The caterpillars live entirely on pawpaw plants.
3. The caterpillars have a gland at the back of their heads that releases bad-smelling chemicals to stop predators from eating them.
4. Adults don’t have very long noses, so they feed on flowers that are short and flat.
5. Zebra swallowtails are found throughout southeastern USA in swamps and fields near pawpaw trees.

I hope that you found these facts interesting and learned something new.

Are there any other interesting facts that you would like to share about zebra swallowtails?