Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes)
Pricing: Dead (spread, as pictured): $40 each (male or female)
Geographic Range: Southeastern U.S.A. to Panama
View: Top Sex: Male (top) & Female (bottom)
Image Copyright 2003
Barbara Strnadova
Papilio cresphontes is arguably the most spectacular swallowtail in North America. Generally, it is a Neotropical species and thrives in the southern U.S.A., ranging all the way into Central America, but it has been known to make jaunts up into Canada. It gradually yields its range to the more glamorous (yet almost identical) Papilio thoas. The larvae mimic bird droppings and feed on various Citrus and Zanthoxylum spp. In the U.S.A., where they can damage Citrus trees, they are called Orange Dogs. Adults frequent open fields, forest edges and road cuts where they can be found sipping nectar from flowers and moisture from mud. Males chase each other long distances and frequently engage in aerial combat. Papilio cresphontes was previously known as Papilio grande.