Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) developmental series
Hi Lisa Anne and Daniel,
Glad to see that you are keeping up your great work with your website. Last year I submitted some picture series about the development of butterflies. This year I would like to share my Giant Swallowtail shots with you.
I found 6 caterpillars on Prickley Ash during the summer in Wisconsin, and breeding this species is a wonderful experience. My girlfriend Megan will be delighted to see “her” caterpillar on your page, which she got as a present from me to encourage her slightly increasing interested in bugs. Keep up the great job! Best wishes from Madison/Wisconsin,
Thomas Werner
Hi Thomas,
Thanks for sending us your wonderful Giant Swallowtail metamorphosis images.
polydamas swallowtailswallow tail
Adult and caterpillar Port Orange, Florida
Heather
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sending in your photos of Battus polydamas.
Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I discovered it was the Citrus Swallowtail, my address is southern Queensland in Australia and it hatched out yesterday, see the photos i’m pleased to attach, i was so sure i’d miss the moment. How do they fit into the case, it IS a miracle./
dawn
Hi again Dawn,
Thank you so much for the followup images of the metamorphosis of the spectacular caterpillar you sent our way on January 19. Your photos are all wonderful.
Australian bird shit caterpillar
Hi Bugman,
I am no entomologist but I like science and looking at it I was thinking: What is that? A bird shit caterpillar !!! Wow, how darwinian !? Searching on the net I discover you have the same in Kansas… I thought you’d be interested to know that we have the equivalent in Australia living on our lemon tree, it’s the citrus thing that triggered my interest. Two bugs adopting the same mimicry eating the same kind of leaves…? It’s more than just a case of co-evolution. And I suspect the butterfly associated to this caterpillar is this gorgeous one that goes up and down and up and down in the hot summer afternoon in our backyard. I have a pic somewhere I’ll try to find it if you are interested. On the pic the caterpillar is in a defensive position, normally the pointy bits are not erected and it looks just like a bird poo. New years greetings from Oz
Olivier Bruge & Peter Young
Canberra
Hi Olivier and Peter,
Your caterpillar is a Citrus Swallowtail or Orchard Swallowtail, Papilio aegeus. The Butterflies of Australia website has images of the caterpillars and the adults. Your caterpillar is an early instar, and the coloration will change with subsequent molts. We would love to get a photo of the adult butterfly if you are able to send one.
Down under Papilio Aegeus !
Hi Daniel,
Thank you so much for your answer. Here is the pic of the butterfly I was very happy to know that my huntch was right. I love the idea that this beautiful insect comes out of a big poo!! It’s a great evolutionary version of Andersen’s “hugly duckling”. … Have a g’day (as we say here)
Olivier Bruge,
Canberra, Australia.
a black butterfly – Identification for artistic purposes.
Hey!
I am a photographer, and my latest preoccupation is taking pictures of myself holding various insects. Previously I submitted an adorable little fuzzy moth, and to add to that I also have what I’m pretty sure is a paper wasp, and what I think might be a swallowtail butterfly. Both were photographed in Richmond, VA. I unfortunately can’t remember the seasons. If you get a chance, let me know. Thank you for your wonderful site!
Kelli.
Hi Kelli,
Your butterfly is a Spicebrush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus.
Question about the name
August 31, 2009
Hi… a friend was getting my assistance today in identifying a caterpillar. She later said that she found it on your site and that it was a “Spicebrush Swallowtail.” I instantly thought that it should be “Spicebush” Swallowtail (bush, not brush), so I came to your site to investigate. Sure enough, you had four or five entries (found via the search option) where they were called “spicebrush” swallowtails.
I think this is an error and that it should be “spicebush,” but I’m not an entomologist and will defer to your expertise. Just wanted to alter you, or be educated myself. 
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
The letter you cite is an older posting to our site, and though we have seen both spellings in our research, we agree that the common name Spicebush is more appropriate. In our childhood, we referred to the butterfly as a Spicebrush Swallowtail, and that name stuck for a long time. Often errors become established as alternate names. Though we are not correcting this spelling in our archive, we do take note and all recent postings are identified as Spicebush Swallowtails.
¶ Posted 26 July 2006 § ‡ ° Mexican Swallowtail – Giant Swallowtail or Thoas Swallowtail?
hi Bugman!
I wrote a few weeks ago after I found a caterpillar I could not identify. I gave it a habitat and let it do it’s thing. I came home to a beautiful swallowtail yesterday! I originially thought it was an ‘orange dog’ caterpillar — but it wasn’t quite the right colors.
Then I found a Mexican website (I live in Tucson Arizona) and was able to see it was some sort of swallowtail larva. I have attached a photo sequence of caterpillar, to chrysallis, to butterfly.
It’s happily fluttering about my yard now, but I think I got some good pics while it was in my care. This time I sent web-ready versions if you want to post them. I’m having trouble determining if it’s Giant Swallowtail or Thoas Swallowtail. See:
http://www.mariposasmexicanas.com/papilio_heraclides_cresphontes.htm
and http://www.mariposasmexicanas.com/papilio_heraclides_thoas_autocles.htm
I cannot really determine (even by Googling) if the lower wing red markings are classic of either species since my swallowtail has more red going up the lower wing. Either way, it seemed to be a mexican variety (sandy coloring) of the usual dark brown/white orange dog caterpillar. I love your site! You got me hooked and trying to identify this critter! Thanks!
Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for all the photos and research. According to BugGuide: The Giant Swallowtail is “Distinguished from P. thoas by the larger spots forming in the lower left leg of the X on the front wing. ” Your specimen has small spots on the forewings, so we favor Thoas Swallowtail. Here is just one more link with information.
Mating Swallowtails
Dear Bugman,
Thought you might like this photo. Spring is definitely in the air – we have lots and lots of emerging Pipevine Swallowtails and they’re wasting no time! Took the photo 2 days ago. I’ve also attached some photos of the caterpillars that I took last year. There were so many of these hungry guys (and gals) munching on the pipevine bush that we could actually hear them eating – it was really cool! I also discovered that if you frighten or annoy them, they extend some type of “antennae” from the back of their heads – fascinating and beautiful critters.
Ann Ranlett
Nature Illustrations & Pet Portraits
Hi Ann,
Your photographs are always so awesome. Both your mating butterflies and the caterpillars are Pipevine Swallowtails, Battus philenor. The caterpillar is displaying its osmeterium, a horned retractable organ that gives off a foul odor. Many swallowtail caterpillars have this defense mechanism.
Inchworm/Oak Besma? Butterfly?
Hello again What’s That Bug.
I noticed on the Caterpiller page you have the Inchworm/Oak Besma identification, but the picture is hard to see. I’d like to contribute my own. Again, these are found in my backyard in central Indiana. I have also included a picture of a butterfly I found at the Gatlinburg Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Aquarium in Tennessee. I searched the site, but I’m unsure as the type of butterfly it is. Can you help?
Thanks!
Heather Burdette
Hi Heather,
Your unidentified butterfly is a Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, but a black morph. According to BugGuide: “A dark phase occurs in females through much of range, esepcially in southern states. The stripes are still faintly visible from some angles. The black females may be distinguished from other swallowtails from below, by the absence of the band of orange spots on the hind wing seen on Black and Spicebush Swallowtails, and lack of iridescent blue of Pipevine Swallowtails. ” We are not entirely sure your Inchworm is an Oak Besma. It appears to be feeding on a maple leaf and there are other Geometrid Caterpillars that look very similar. Bugguide lists the food plants as: “Oak, elm, poplar, willows, and white spruce.” So our verdict is maybe yes and maybe no.
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