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 1 - 24 of 3324 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 30, 2017
Submitted by: Jay Jeffrey
Region: Riley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 21, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Jeffrey
Region: Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 27, 1987
Submitted by: Teswenson
Region: Burnett County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 08, 2025
Observation date: Oct 01, 2025
Submitted by: godibec
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 02, 2025
Observation date: Sep 27, 2025
Submitted by: Dayna H.
Region: Johnson County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 27, 2025
Observation date: Jun 18, 2025
Submitted by: Ivyrk87
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Ivyrk87
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
Observation date: Jun 10, 2025
Submitted by: Sally Millar
Region: Baldwin County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 10, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: kittybev
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 01, 2025
Observation date: Aug 21, 2025
Submitted by: icanhasmath
Region: Pierce County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: Pamela H
Region: Itasca County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 02, 2025
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 22, 2025
Submitted by: Severino Carbone
Region: Otsego County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2025
Observation date: Jul 22, 2010
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Pulaski County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 19, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2025
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 16, 2025
Submitted by: LittleWoodSatyr
Region: Defiance County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2025
Observation date: Aug 14, 2025
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2025
Observation date: Aug 11, 2025
Submitted by: leskokid
Region: Monroe County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 12, 2025
Observation date: Aug 06, 2025
Submitted by: jweissmann
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 08, 2025
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Kipepeo49
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 05, 2025
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