Attributes of Papilio cresphontes
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.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Papilio cresphontes
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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October 12, 2012 | pkratsdau | Johnson County, Texas, United States | May 20, 2013 | Details |
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August 06, 2011 | janetbarrykc | Johnson County, Kansas, United States | April 05, 2013 | Details |
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July 21, 2011 | dccoffeecat | Kansas, United States | April 05, 2013 | Details |
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July 10, 2007 | Ilona L. | Dane County, Wisconsin, United States | March 28, 2013 | Details |
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March 05, 1972 | stomlins701 | Bexar County, Texas, United States | March 14, 2013 | Details |
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March 13, 2013 | Lucinda | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | March 14, 2013 | Details |
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July 20, 2012 | dpgbfly1 | Isanti County, Minnesota, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
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August 14, 2012 | richardhsmith (Kathy Litzinger) | Howard County, Maryland, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
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September 03, 2012 | richardhsmith (John McKitterick) | Howard County, Maryland, United States | January 08, 2013 | Details |
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October 12, 2011 | JeanEvoy | De Soto County, Florida, United States | January 02, 2013 | Details |
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September 23, 2012 | geneva | Harris County, Texas, United States | December 26, 2012 | Details |
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September 04, 2012 | Jean Harvey-Clark | Calhoun County, Michigan, United States | December 10, 2012 | Details |
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September 01, 2012 | nandig | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | December 05, 2012 | Details |
| August 19, 1989 | legacy.reporter (George T. Austin) | Clark County, Nevada, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 14, 1985 | legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris) | Cochise County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 16, 1985 | legacy.reporter (Clifford D. Ferris) | Cochise County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 01, 1992 | legacy.reporter (S. M. Nelson) | La Paz County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| June 06, 1992 | legacy.reporter (S. M. Nelson) | La Paz County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| October 10, 1994 | legacy.reporter (Ray Stanford) | Greenlee County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| March 18, 2012 | legacy.reporter (Kazuo Inagaki) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| April 28, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Calhoun County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| May 19, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Perry County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| July 27, 2012 | legacy.reporter (Paulette Ogard and Sara Bright) | Bibb County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 12, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Mobile County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 20, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Baldwin County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| August 26, 2012 | vitaly charny (Vitaly Charny) | Perry County, Alabama, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
| November 24, 2005 | John Saba (John Saba) | Pima County, Arizona, United States | December 01, 2012 | Details | |
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August 03, 2012 | tjsoula | Collin County, Texas, United States | November 25, 2012 | Details |
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November 22, 2012 | whbauer | Comal County, Texas, United States | November 25, 2012 | Details |
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October 23, 2012 | macervantes | Texas, Maverick County, United States | November 25, 2012 | Details |
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November 23, 2012 | macervantes | Texas, Maverick County, United States | November 25, 2012 | Details |
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July 23, 2012 | jwileyrains | Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States | November 21, 2012 | Details |
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July 31, 2012 | jwileyrains | Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States | November 21, 2012 | Details |
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May 22, 2012 | Jeff Trahan | Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States | November 14, 2012 | Details |
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August 15, 2012 | DebF | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | November 09, 2012 | Details |
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August 06, 2012 | Michelle Noonan | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | November 09, 2012 | Details |
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August 29, 2012 | Walt Webb | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | November 06, 2012 | Details |
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October 21, 2012 | tod clark | Maricopa County, Arizona, United States | October 31, 2012 | Details |
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April 22, 2012 | Tonia Graves | Pima County, Arizona, United States | October 30, 2012 | Details |
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October 02, 2012 | tat | California, United States | October 30, 2012 | Details |
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August 06, 2012 | kmpfeiffer | Bennington County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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July 25, 2012 | gaudettelaura@hotmail.com | Windham County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 07, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 09, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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July 25, 2012 | stewdor7@comcast.net | Bennington County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 10, 2011 | stewdor7@comcast.net | Bennington County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 12, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 12, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 12, 2012 | khemeon | Bennington County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 20, 2012 | Appy-Brown | Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States | October 29, 2012 | Details |
