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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Papilio cresphontes - Papilio_cresphontesKsGrantSept8-07CarolAdams-cropd.jpg

Papilio cresphontes - Papilio_cresphontesKsGrantSept8-07CarolAdams-cropd.jpg
Papilio cresphontes - Papilio_cresphontesKsGrantSept8-07CarolAdams-cropv.jpg

Papilio cresphontes - Papilio_cresphontesKsGrantSept8-07CarolAdams-cropv.jpg
Papilio cresphontes - Papilio_cresphontesIrwin.jpg

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Papilio cresphontes - GiantSwallowtail-Simons.jpg

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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 200 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.

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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.

Observation Date Submitter Region Verified Datesort icon
May 05, 2012 Everlast Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States May 16, 2012 Details
May 07, 2012 1sparrow Rutland County, Vermont, United States May 16, 2012 Details
May 11, 2012 Marv and Sue Elliott Rutland County, Vermont, United States May 16, 2012 Details
May 12, 2012 Marv and Sue Elliott Addison County, Vermont, United States May 16, 2012 Details
May 02, 2012 uniprokbs Collier County, Florida, United States May 14, 2012 Details
March 18, 2012 ezeedad Los Angeles County, California, United States May 10, 2012 Details
April 26, 2012 patlynnprice@gmail.com Harris County, Texas, United States May 06, 2012 Details
March 28, 2012 jftrahan Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States April 05, 2012 Details
April 01, 2012 pedalpics Pima County, Arizona, United States April 05, 2012 Details
March 20, 2012 Americus Garden Inn Georgia, Sumter County, United States March 26, 2012 Details
September 12, 2011 Rhonda Broadway Sarasota County, Florida, United States January 22, 2012 Details
September 12, 2011 Rhonda Broadway Sarasota County, Florida, United States January 22, 2012 Details
September 12, 2010 Karen Adams Franklin County, Ohio, United States January 21, 2012 Details
September 07, 2004 cyric Martin County, Florida, United States December 14, 2011 Details
April 14, 2010 rseidler Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States November 27, 2011 Details
August 09, 2011 Connie Minnesota, United States November 25, 2011 Details
October 20, 2011 mulhopd Charlotte County, Florida, United States November 20, 2011 Details
September 27, 2011 southgagal Berrien County, Georgia, United States November 18, 2011 Details
August 09, 2008 jim8435wisc Vernon County, Wisconsin, United States November 17, 2011 Details
October 25, 2011 rufussss7 Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States November 05, 2011 Details
August 07, 2011 kmpfeiffer Bennington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 18, 2011 kmpfeiffer Bennington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 02, 2011 Alex_Dado Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States November 02, 2011 Details
September 04, 2011 mspingola Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 18, 2011 kmpfeiffer Bennington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 07, 2011 kmpfeiffer Bennington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 21, 2011 doris spedding Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, United States November 02, 2011 Details
September 15, 2011 tarmat Bennington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
October 03, 2011 Larry522 Washington County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
October 22, 2011 GarPhotog San Diego County, California, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 12, 2011 Roy Pilcher Rutland County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
August 24, 2011 Roy Pilcher Rutland County, Vermont, United States November 02, 2011 Details
March 25, 2011 Nancee Cobb Bay County, Florida, United States October 27, 2011 Details
August 21, 2011 marthakwasniewski Onondaga County, New York, United States October 26, 2011 Details
August 05, 2011 mom2krb Erie County, New York, United States October 26, 2011 Details
September 16, 2011 dub pen Orange County, California, United States October 08, 2011 Details
August 22, 2011 Kyle Jones Windsor County, Vermont, United States October 06, 2011 Details
September 17, 2010 GarPhotog San Diego County, California, United States October 05, 2011 Details
October 01, 2011 GarPhotog San Diego County, California, United States October 04, 2011 Details
September 22, 2011 rconnorsphoto Hickman County, Tennessee, United States September 30, 2011 Details
August 27, 2011 Kari Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States September 21, 2011 Details
September 17, 2011 Deno Harrison County, Texas, United States September 20, 2011 Details
August 04, 2011 astouffer Otoe County, Nebraska, United States September 15, 2011 Details
June 19, 2011 Nowakansan McPherson County, Kansas, United States September 14, 2011 Details
June 27, 2011 WingedWolfPsion Cass County, Nebraska, United States September 14, 2011 Details
July 08, 2011 JHSFL95 Sumter County, Florida, United States September 11, 2011 Details
August 29, 2011 Englishman Hernando County, Florida, United States September 11, 2011 Details
April 23, 2011 jftrahan St Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States September 09, 2011 Details
September 03, 2011 aarongunnar Polk County, Wisconsin, United States September 07, 2011 Details
September 04, 2011 Otalan Prince William County, Virginia, United States September 05, 2011 Details