Tailless-swallowtail
Guides
Battus polydamas polydamas
Polydamas Swallowtail, Gold Rim Swallowtail, Tailless Swallowtail
The Polydamas swallowtail is a tailless swallowtail butterfly distinguished by its black wings with red or pink spots and a characteristic gold band along the wing margins. Adults are active year-round in tropical regions and are notable for their complete lack of tail-like extensions on the hindwings—a unique trait among New World swallowtails. The species serves as a model for Batesian mimicry, with its aposematic coloration warning predators of its chemical defenses derived from toxic host plants.