The giant swallowtail butterfly, papilio cresphontes cramer, is an abundant beauty in the state of Florida. Although butterfly enthusiasts love finding this butterfly in their garden, citrus farmers think they are a nuisance, as the caterpillars – orangedogs – eat the leaves of citrus plants.
These butterflies have a wide range in where they can be found as they can be seen throughout the continent of America. This butterfly can be found throughout the year in South Florida.
These beauties capture your attention as they glide through the garden from one plant to another, as their forewing span is from 11.7-17.5 cm for males, and 13.5 to 18.8 cm for females.
The giant swallowtail spent a great deal of time in our backyard as there was a citrus tree already on the property when we moved in, which unfortunately was heavily damaged after Hurricane Ian devastated our area in 2022. We ended up having to cut it down.
With that one gone, I decided to plant a lime tree in our front butterfly garden after the storm. The giant swallowtail butterfly just recently began visiting the garden again, leaving behind many little treasures.
According to the University of Florida, the egg has an irregular coating of an orange secretion, a resemblance of an orange peel.
The caterpillar goes through five instars, with feeding typically taking place during night hours.
Each instar looks different in appearance. They resemble bird droppings when younger and rest on the top of the leaves. The larger caterpillar will rest on stems or leaf petioles.
According to the University of Florida, the younger caterpillars are black, or brown, with a white saddle and have hairs on prominent knobs. As they grow in size they are mottled dark brown with a white or cream-colored posterior, and no longer have knobs.
According to the University of Florida, the giant swallowtail larvae have an osmeterium, “an orange, or reddish Y-shaped eversible gland,” that is used to wipe against small predators, such as ants and spiders. When the caterpillar is in its fourth and fifth instars it contains a highly noxious, pungent mixture of chemicals, which smells like rancid butter.
The giant swallowtail will attach its posterior end to a silken pad and the anterior end is attached to a thin silk girdle, according to the University of Florida.
This butterfly loves the nectar of azelea, bougainvillea, Japanese honeysuckle, goldenrod, dame’s rocket, bouncing Bet and swamp milkweed. The most visited nectar flower in our garden is the red penta.
The Wondrous Metamorphosis of the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly: A Pictorial Journey
