About this coloring page
This swallowtail spreads two big round upper wings, each with a ringed spot near the outer edge. The lower wings are smaller and end in short wavy tails at the bottom, each crossed by a single line.
Most of the page is open space, which suits early colorers well. The little tails at the bottom of the lower wings are the trickiest part and are a nice small target for practicing careful edges.
Color ideas
- Color the wings pale yellow and outline the edges in black, like an eastern tiger swallowtail.
- Make the short tails on the lower wings a darker shade than the rest of the wing so they stand out.
- Fill the ringed spots with bright blue and orange, colors many real swallowtails show near their tails.
Did you know?
- Swallowtails get their name from the tails on their hind wings, which look like the forked tail of a swallow.
- When a swallowtail caterpillar is disturbed, it can push out a bright orange, forked organ that gives off a bad smell to scare predators away.
Try this
Look at pictures of a swallow bird and a swallowtail butterfly side by side, and talk about what their tails have in common.
