Adults can be found nectaring on a variety of flowers.
The genus Papilio is Latin for butterfly. Xutho is Greek for yellowish or yellowish-brown.
The Chinese Yellow Swallowtail is primarily found in broad-leafed and mixed forests, especially in valleys of major rivers.
Males patrol the forest edge. After, the female lays her eggs in groups of two or three on the underside of the host plant. The caterpillar feeds on the host plant until it forms its pupa, usually on the tree's trunk or branches.
There are 2 broods a year. The first is from April - June and the second is July - August. In a warm summer it is possible to have a 3rd generation in the southern parts flying in September.
The Chinese Yellow Swallowtail are seasonally dimorphic which mean the chrysalides formed in the fall and the adults which emerge from them are quite a bit smaller than the summer brood.
