Giant Swallowtail Butterfly "Papilio Cresphontes" from Eden of Wings Nursery
Wingspan: 4" to 6"
Also known as American Swallowtail, Parship Swallowtail, Parsley Swallowtail, Celeryworm or Caraway worm. This is the biggest swallowtail in North America. While it's beautiful to watch adults darting from flower to flower, the caterpillars can sometimes be a pest when you're growing small citrus trees. They love the tender new growth. Larger trees seem to tolerate the damage without a problem. Giant swallowtail butterfly doesn't migrate but spends winter as a chrysalis suspended from slender silk threads attached to a small twig or branch. It has two or three generations each summer. When caterpillars are threatened, they extend the osmeterium, a gland on the head looks like orange antennae. The osmeterium exudes a foul smell.
Larva: Young caterpillars are light brown with white and yellow patches. The shiny skin and blotchy coloration give the caterpillars a bird dropping appearance. Mature larvae have dull skin and are brown with disruptive white patches on the thorax, middle, and rear end. The thorax is enlarged and bears some black markings. When viewed from the front, the thorax looks like the head of a small animal. The pale rear end has dark marking that form a face pattern as well. The osmeterium is bright red. Giant Swallowtail caterpillars are called Orange Dogs....
Pupa: The chrysalis is brown with dark markings and patches of green. it closely resembles a broken twig with lichens.
If you are looking for several species of host plants for the Giant Swallowtail, our Nursery Eden of Wings carries these plants year-round and you can also order them on our website: www.edenofwings.com
What are the Host Plants for the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly?
* Citrus tree
* Rue
* Sea Torchwood
* Hoptree
* Prickle Ash tree
* Hercule's Club tree
* Lime Prickly Ash tree
