Attributes of Papilio thoas

Thoas Swallowtail
Papilio thoas Linnaeus, 1771
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Upperside of forewing has diagonal yellow band of square spots in a neat row.
Wing Span: 4 1/8 - 5 inches (10.5 - 12.8 cm).
Life History: Caterpillars resemble bird droppings and rest exposed on leaves.
Flight: Year-round in the tropics, April-July in south Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants in the citrus family (Rutaceae) including Citrus spp., prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), hop tree (Ptelea trifoliata); six species in the Piperaceae family.
Adult Food: Flower nectar, including lantana, cesalpina, and bougainvilla.
Habitat: Mid-elevation tropical forests and lowland edges.
Range: South Texas south to Brazil. Very rare stray into Kansas and Oklahoma.
Conservation: Not needed 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: None in the United States.
Taxonomy Notes:

Images of Papilio thoas

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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 09, 2011 jdupton Texas, United States, Williamson County July 15, 2011 Details
October 15, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) San Luis Potosi, Mexico October 03, 2007 Details
October 17, 2006 legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler) Tamaulipas, Mexico October 03, 2007 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Logan County, Colorado, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sedgwick County, Colorado, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Scott County, Kansas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sinaloa, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Coahuila De Zaragoza, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Nuevo Leon, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Tamaulipas, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Baja California Sur, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Sonora, Mexico December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Zapata County December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Starr County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Hidalgo County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Cameron County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Kenedy County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Travis County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Dallas County, Texas, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, Trinity County, United States December 31, 2004 Details
January 01, 1950 legacy.reporter Texas, United States, Val Verde County December 31, 2004 Details