[3][5] The Palamedes swallowtail is encountered from May to October in southeastern Virginia and from March to December in more southern regions.

[3] Females lay their pale greenish-yellow eggs singly on host plant leaves.

[6][7][3] The larva is almost identical to the caterpillar of the spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus, except the spicebush swallowtail larva has larger false eyes, larger blue spots, and different host plant preferences.

[6][7]) However, in the coastal Southeast, a subspecies of the spicebush swallowtail P. t. ilioneus shares the redbay (Persea borbonia) as a host plant.

The green chrysalis has a whitish lateral stripe edged with brown above and has two horns on the head.