[4] The Papilio polyxenes demonstrates polyandry and a lek mating system, showing no male parental care and display sites.

[8][9] They are usually found in open areas like fields, parks, marshes or deserts, and they prefer tropical or temperate habitats.

When in danger, the osmeterium, which looks like a snake's tongue, everts and releases a foul smell to repel predators.

The color of the chrysalis is determined by a local genetic balance that ensures the majority of pupae will blend in.

[12] Male black swallowtails can sometimes mimic the female wing-back pattern, and therefore succeed in reduced predation as well.

[15] Females have no preference based on wing markings, and are equally likely to mate with a typical versus an alternative coloration.

[15] Therefore, male-male intrasexual selection is of greater importance than female mate choice in maintaining the classic male wing-back coloration and pattern.

[17] Winter is spent in the chrysalis stage, and adults will emerge in the spring to seek out host plants.

[5] Members of the black swallowtail are long lived compared to other butterflies that inhabit temperate zones.

[19] Adult butterflies are at the highest risk for predation when they are incapable of flight or are starved from poor weather.

[19] Papilio polyxenes use a variety of herbs in the carrot family (Apiaceae), but will choose the food plants for their larvae based on visual and chemical variations.

[20] Species of host plants include:[22] Core body, or thoracic temperatures of around 24 degrees Celsius are necessary for flight.

[26] In lower temperatures, butterflies will raise their abdomens above flattened wings, and will perch relatively close to the ground.

[5] These territories contain no significant concentration of nectar sources, larval host plants or night settling sites.

[5] What makes a territory desirable by females remains unknown, and is only measured by the number of aggressive encounters between males and the overall mating frequency at these sites.

[27] This feature serves as an advantage to the lek mating system described later, as males will be concentrated in predictable locations and will be easy to encounter by females.

[5] Black swallowtails have a 4:1 male biased sex ratio, and a low female mating frequency which leads to intense male-male competition.

[28] This type of territorial organization leads the black swallowtail to engage in a lek mating system.

[30] This article is adapted in part from this page at the USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.