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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 62 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 22, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 24, 2024
Observation date: Oct 12, 2023
Submitted by: Arden K. Powell
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 14, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2017
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Sep 08, 2024
Observation date: Aug 04, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 27, 2024
Observation date: Jun 18, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jun 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: David Hilmy
Region: Stann Creek District, Belize
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Dec 12, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: michelle_yorks
Region: Panamá Province, Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Oct 14, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Salvador
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: May 30, 2023
Observation date: Dec 18, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 03, 2023
Observation date: Jun 25, 2017
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Jun 22, 2017
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2016
Submitted by: dyuhas
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 24, 2023
Observation date: Jan 21, 2023
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2022
Submitted by: Rosa Ruperto
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Dec 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Panamá Province, Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Nov 15, 2022
Observation date: Nov 11, 2015
Submitted by: JoseBonner
Region: Oaxaca, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Mar 05, 2019
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Panama
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2022
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Jul 23, 2019
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Mar 05, 2019
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 22, 2018
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
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