Big Baby Butterfly
May 25, 2010
I saw this guy when I was watering the flowers, he was so big and I could tell he just became a butterfly his wings were still drying. Hence why I was able to get a decent pic, since he couldnt fly that well/far. I was wondering what kind of butterfly this is, if I held him with wings spread he would be about the size of my hand. Plus I was able to take a good pic of a great specimen and thought I would share with ya’ll.
Caitlyn in Austin
Leander, Tx
Hi Caitlyn,
This beauty is a Giant Swallowtail, and the caterpillars, which feed upon the leaves of citrus trees and resemble bird droppings, are called Orange Dogs. The Giant Swallowtail is a native species and citrus is not. Prior to the introduction of citrus trees to North America, the caterpillars of the Giant Swallowtail fed upon native trees including Common Pricklyash and Common Hoptree. With the introduction of citrus, the range of the Giant Swallowtail has greatly increased to include Arizona and California.