Zebra swallowtail
Protographium marcellus
Butterfly
Distinctive black-and-white-striped swallowtail with long tails and a red abdominal stripe; larvae are specialists on plants in the genus Asimina (pawpaws). Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is the canonical and overwhelmingly primary host across the species's range; without pawpaw colonies the butterfly cannot reproduce. Adults nectar on a variety of native flowers (redbud, milkweed, blackberry blossom, dogbane). One of the most striking native butterflies in eastern North America and a textbook host-plant-specialist conservation case.
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
NC State explicit: "Pawpaws are larval host plants for the Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)." Zebra swallowtail is an Annonaceae specialist - pawpaw is its canonical and overwhelmingly primary host across the range. Without pawpaw colonies the butterfly cannot reproduce; planting pawpaw is the single most direct conservation action for zebra swallowtail populations.
Range
Eastern United States from southern New England south to Florida and west to eastern Texas; range tracks pawpaw distribution.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/zebra-swallowtail
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Zebra swallowtail
Species profile for eastern range, adult nectar sources, and pawpaw larval-host dependence.
MDC Field Guide: Zebra swallowtail
State agency species account used for identification detail, larval and adult food, and life-cycle timing. Missouri-scoped, so it is not cited for continental range.
Wikipedia: Protographium marcellus
Corroborating reference for taxonomy and Asimina host specialization.
GBIF: Protographium marcellus
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy accepts Protographium marcellus (Cramer, 1777) as a species, matched exactly.
iNaturalist: Eurytides marcellus
iNaturalist places the zebra swallowtail under the active species Eurytides marcellus (taxon 83086), where Protographium marcellus is treated as a synonym.