The Black Swallowtail has a wingspan of 6.7 to 10 cm (2.7 to 4 in). The upper side of the male's wings is black. There are two rows of yellow spots along the edges of both wings. There is a small area of blue on the bottom wing between the two rows of yellow spots.On the bottom edge of the bottom wing, there is a red spot with a small black dot in the center. The upper side of the female's wings is black. There are two rows of light yellow spots along the edges of both wings. These spots are smaller than the male's. There is a large area of blue on the bottom wing between these two rows. The female also has the same red and black spot on the bottom wing as the male. The female mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail ("Battus philenor"). The underside of the wings is the same in both sexes. The top wing is black with two rows of yellow-orange spots. The bottom wing has two rows of orange spots with a blue area between them.