All species of swallowtail butterfly appeared to have had a good year on the Olympic Peninsula in 2023. Olympic National Park and iNaturalist records three species of Swallowtail Butterflies (Papilio sp.) - the Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus), Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon), and the one photographed, the Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon). All look superficially similar, as they are large yellow and black butterflies similar in size to monarchs. iNaturalist reports a total of 32 Swallowtail sightings for Port Angeles - 17 in 2023, 8 in 2022, 2 in 2021, 1 in 2020 and 2019, 2 in 2018, and 1 in 2017. Tiger Swallowtails and Allies
(Subgenus Pterourus) is also listed under iNaturalist although in the Port Angeles search, only one sighting was this subgenus). A larger search of Swallowtail sightings in all of Clallam County records 172 total observations.
