Swallowtails (Subfamiy Papilioninae)

SUBFAMILY DESCRIPTION: Papilioninae is a subfamily of the

butterfly family Papilionidae.  Papilioninae are found worldwide,

but most species are distributed in the tropics. There are three tribes

of roughly 480 species, of which 27 occur in North America. The

various species differ widely in terms of appearance and behavior.

This family contains the largest butterflies in the world, including

the birdwings of the Troides and Ornithoptera, the latter including

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae), the largest

butterfly in the world. Although the majority of species in this family

are tailed, and known collectively as the "swallowtails", a consider-

able number are not, such as the apollos and festoons.

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