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Eastern Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

Papilio cresphontes

Photo by mystified45
Published on Project Noah
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26.3398, -81.7787

Field Notes

Description:

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.

Habitat:

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.

Reference Links:

Butterflies and Moths of North America | collecting and sharing data about Lepi…

Species ID Suggestions

Giant Swallowtail

Heraclides cresphontes

Reference Link
bayucca
1

Comments (4)
mystified45
FaceBook page . . .I have a friend who is a scientist in Virginia and she originally suggested the name. But, yes . .when I looked at the link I could see the difference, slight, however correct.
bayucca
Ehm, what's FB page? But you agree with Cresphontes?
mystified45
AWSOME . . .I posted it on my FB page and that was the description that given to me.
bayucca
I would loved you having spotted this endemic species. But it is a Giant Swallowtail, Heraclides cresphontes. In Schaus there should be a bigger red spot on the hindwing and the margins have more and stronger markings. Beside there is a link for Schaus. But the spotting is very beautiful anyway. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in698

Spotted for Missions

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Butterflies & Moths of the World
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 12, 2012

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