Editing Papilio polyxenes (section)

{{short description|Species of insect}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Black swallowtail
| image = Black Swallowtail, male, Ottawa.jpg
| image_caption = Male
| image2 = Pristine Black Swallowtail.jpg
| image2_caption = Female
| status = G5
| status_system = TNC
| status_ref = <ref>{{Cite NatureServe | date = 2020 | id = 2.108735 | title = ''Papilio polyxenes'' Black Swallowtail |access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>
| status2 = LC
| status2_system = IUCN3.1
| status2_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Puttick, A. |author2=Walker, A. |author3=Hall, P. |year=2021 |title=''Papilio polyxenes'' |volume=2021 |page=e.T110613568A110613582 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T110613568A110613582.en |access-date=23 April 2021}}</ref>
| genus = Papilio
| species = polyxenes
| authority = [[Johan Christian Fabricius|Fabricius]], 1775
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = 
* ''P. p. americus'' <small>[[Vincenz Kollar|Kollar]], 1849</small>
* ''P. p. asterius'' <small>Stoll, 1782</small>
* ''P. p. coloro'' <small>Wright, 1905</small>
* ''P. p. costarum'' <small>Orellana-B, 2009</small><ref>{{cite journal |last=Orellana-B. |first=Andrés M. |journal=Boletín Científico Centro de Museos Museo de Historia Natural |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=92–101 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239533869 |title=Description Of A New Tropical Subspecies Of The Black Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio Polyxenes (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) From Venezuela}}</ref>
* ''P. p. gerardi'' <small>Bollino and Vitale, 2002</small>
* ''P. p. kahli'' <small>Chermock, 1937</small>
* ''P. p. polyxenes'' <small>Fabricius, 1775</small>
* ''P. p. sadalus'' <small>[[Hippolyte Lucas|H. Lucas]], 1892</small>
* ''P. p. stabilis'' <small>[[Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild|Rothschild]] and [[Karl Jordan (zoologist, born 1861)|Jordan]], 1906</small>
}}

'''''Papilio polyxenes''''', the ('''eastern''') '''black swallowtail''', '''American swallowtail''' or '''parsnip swallowtail''',<ref name=edis>{{cite web|last=Castner |first=J.L. |title=Electronic Data Information Source |work=Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences |publisher=University of Florida |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in032 |accessdate=2013-08-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426152911/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in032 |archive-date=April 26, 2012 }}</ref> is a [[butterfly]] found throughout much of North America. An extremely similar-appearing species, ''[[Papilio joanae]]'', occurs in the [[Ozark Mountains]] region, but it appears to be closely related to ''[[Papilio machaon]]'', rather than ''P. polyxenes''. The species is named after the figure in [[Greek mythology]], [[Polyxena]] (pron.: /pəˈlɪksɨnə/; Greek: Πολυξένη), who was the youngest daughter of King [[Priam]] of Troy. Its caterpillar is called the '''parsley worm''' because the caterpillar feeds on [[parsley]].<ref name=edis/>
[[File:Papilio polyxenes (black swallowtail) caterpillar on Anthem graveolens (dill).jpg|thumb|Macro view of ''Papilio polyxenes'' caterpillar on ''Anethum graveolens'']]The ''Papilio polyxenes'' demonstrates [[Polyandry in animals|polyandry]] and a [[lek mating]] system, showing no male parental care and display sites. Females are therefore able to choose males based on these sites and males are the only resource the females find at these sites.<ref name=":10"/>