Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
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The Giant Swallowtail is one of our most impressive butterflies. It is not only large and boldly marked, but it tends to glide gracefully through the Garden. The underside of the wings is mostly yellow. Towards evening, many swallowtails find a safe and sheltered roost for the night, which is how the above photo was taken. During the day they are a lot more difficult to approach.
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The young caterpillars of many swallowtails resemble bird droppings, but the larvae of the giant swallowtail keep much the same markings throughout their growth. Very young caterpillars not only look a lot like bird droppings, but when viewed head on up close, they have bumps near their head that look remarkably like the eyes and face of a spider.
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class: Insecta / order: Lepidoptera / family: Papilionidae / genus: Papilio / species: cresphontes
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