Giant Swallowtail
Papilio cresphontes Cramer, 1777
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Forewing with diagonal band of yellow spots. Tails are edged with black and filled with yellow.
Wing Span: 4 - 6 1/4 inches (10.2 - 16 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for receptive females. Females lay single eggs on host leaves and twigs. Caterpillars resemble bird droppings and eat leaves and young shoots. Chrysalids hibernate.
Flight: Two in the north from May-September; all year in Florida and the Deep South.
Caterpillar Hosts: Trees and herbs of the citrus family (Rutaceae) including Citrus species, prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata), and Common Rue (Ruta graveolens).
Adult Food: Nectar from lantana, azalea, bougainvilla, bouncing Bet, dame's rocket, goldenrod, Japanese honeysuckle, and swamp milkweed.
Habitat: Many locales including rocky and sandy hillsides near streams or gullies in the north; pine flats, towns, and citrus groves in the south.
Range: Throughout eastern North America west to the Rocky Mountains, south through the desert Southwest to South America. A rare stray to Quebec, North Dakota, and Bermuda.
Conservation: Not required in the United States.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Caterpillars ("orange dogs") are occasional pests of citrus.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 3268 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 16, 2013
Submitted by: matt johnstone
Region: Osceola County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jan 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 20, 2020
Submitted by: Junkmail
Region: Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Warren County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 25, 2023
Submitted by: Linda May
Region: Georgia, Spalding County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Oct 05, 2023
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: Panda84
Region: Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 15, 2023
Submitted by: JerryGriggs
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 17, 2023
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: dan stringer
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 08, 2023
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: Maggie May
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 08, 2023
Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: Janeal W. Thompson
Region: Prowers County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: joanfiller
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Leslie Warren
Region: Mahoning County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 11, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: Burton Dvergsdal
Region: Washington County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 04, 2023
Submitted by: Monslokken
Region: Okaloosa County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: SarahLynn
Region: Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 31, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2023
Submitted by: Andrew Lamberson
Region: Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2023
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