Oregon Swallowtail

Oregon State Insect

Oregon_State_Butterfly.jpg

Image of Oregon Swallowtail butterfly by Alan Schmierer

Oregon Swallowtail;    Photo by Alan Schmierer/Flickr (Public Domain Image).

Official State Insect of Oregon

The Oregon legislature designated the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius) as Oregon’s official insect in 1979. Not only does it include "Oregon" in both its scientific and common name, it is a Northwest native. It can be found in Idaho and Washington states, as well as south-central British Columbia  All State Insects

The adult Oregon swallowtail feeds on nectar from  wildflowers including balsamroot, phlox, and thistles  The larvae eat only  tarragon sagebrush.  This big, beautiful butterfly is a strong flyer, and was featured on a US postal stamp, one of the first four of the butterfly series issued in 1977.   

Oregon

Images

U.S. postage stamp commemorating the Oregon swallowtail butterfly (issued in June, 1977); public domain image on Wikipedia

Oregon swallowtail butterfly postage stamp