elachista maculicerusella is a moth of the elachistidae family that is found in europe .

the wingspan is 10 – 12 millimetres ( 0.39 – 0.47 in ) .

the moth flies from may to august depending on the location .

the larvae mines the stems of phalaris arundiacea , phragmites australis and other grasses on occasion .

the mine starts at the leaf tip and descends as an irregular blotch mine .

the mine is flat and quite shallow .

the frass is initially deposited in the oldest , upper part of the mine , but later in strings .

the larva may leave the mine and restart elsewhere .

pupation takes place outside of the mine .

elachista maculicerusella

elachista globulosa elachista globulosa ( c . agardh ) j . agardh , 1848 elachista
elachista intermedia elachista elachista intermedia p . l . crouan & h . m . crouan , 1867
elachista maculicerusella ( triple - spot dwarf ) - norfolk micro moths - the micro moths of norfolk .
lita maculicerusella bruand , 1859 tinea cerusella hübner , 1796 . samml . europ . schmett . : pl . 27 fig . 183 . elachista monosemiella râssler , 1881 . elachista maculicerusella ( bruand , 1859 ) .
cephaloziella elachista ( j . b . jack ex gottsche & rabenh . ) schiffn . cephaloziella elachista
elachista maculicerusella §1 , male , surlingham , norfolk , 24 / 07 / 2009 , fw 4 . 7mm © chris lewis
id : forewing pale with darker markings , with ciliary line . of the possible remaining species only e . maculicerusella and e . subocellea appear to show any hint of a median fascia . e . maculicerusella has plain unbanded antennae , while those of subocellea are banded . the markings of e . maculicerusella are very variable and poorly marked specimens may require genital examination to distinguish from e . triatomea . male genitalia : of the 6 species in group b ( forewing pale with darker markings ) only e . maculicerusella has the vinculum produced into a distinct process and the width across the uncus lobes broader than the width across the tegumen just below the uncus lobes . female genitalia : of the 6 group b species only e . maculicerusella has a long sclerotised segment at the posterior end of the ductus bursae .
occurring widely in england and southern scotland , less so in wales and ireland , this species is relatively common in damp habitats such as river and canal banks and marshes .
the small white and blackish adult is quite distinctive , and flies between may and august in one or two broods depending on latitude .
) ; occasionally on other grasses . the pupa is anchored externally on the foodplant by a silken girdle .
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white / green blotch mine down from leaf tip . the pupa is anchored externally on the foodplant by a silken girdle .
recorded in 41 ( 59 % ) of 69 10k squares . first recorded in 1874 . last recorded in 2018 .
underlying maps using digital map data © norfolk online lepidoptera archive - nola™ 2018 . © james wheeler - n o r f o l k m o t h s 2007 - 2018 . data © nola™ 2018
ws : 10 - 12mm ; bivoltine may - jun , jul - aug ; reed canary - grass ( phalaris arundinacea ) , common reed ( phragmites australis ) ; in fens & marshes in england , wales and s . scotland synonym : e . monosemiella ( mbgbi3 )
§6 torver , cumbria ; 13 / 07 / 2015 ; male ; fw 4 . 8mm all images © chris lewis
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larva makes a large whitish blotch and mines the leaf downwards . the frass tends to be deposited in the upper part of the mine ( british leafminers ) .
oviposition usually not far from the leaf tip . from there descends an irregular blotch mine . hering ( 1957a ) describes the mine as flat and quite shallow , giving it a greenish , rather than whitish appearance . frass initially in the oldest , upper part of the mine , later in strings . the larva can leave its mine and restart elsewhere . normally only one larva per mine , but sometimes two or even three mines in a leaf . pupation outside the mine ( bladmineerders van europa ) .
larva : the larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles ( see video of a gracillarid larva feeding ) , six thoracic legs and abdominal legs ( see examples ) .
yellowish green , head and pronotum pale brown ; see steuer ( 1987a ) for a detailed description ( bladmineerders van europa ) . the larva is illustrated in british leafminers .
pupa : the pupae of moths have visible head appendages , wings and legs which lie in sheaths ( see examples ) .
anchored externally on the foodplant by a silken girdle ( ukmoths ) . the pupa is illustrated in british leafminers .
adult : the adult is illustrated in ukmoths . the species is included in urltoken .
comments : festuca pratensis is treated as schedonorus pratensis ( meadow fescue ) by stace ( 2010 ) .
time of year - larvae : october - june ; july ( british leafminers ) .
time of year - adults : between may and august in one or two broods depending on latitude ( ukmoths ) .
distribution in great britain and ireland : occurring widely in england and southern scotland , this species is relatively common in damp habitats such as river and canal banks and marshes ( ukmoths ) including anglesey , bedfordshire , caernarvonshire , cambridgeshire , denbighshire , derbyshire , dorset , east kent , east norfolk , east suffolk , flintshire , glamorgan , hertfordshire , huntingdonshire , kincardineshire , leicestershire , middlesex , north essex , north northumberland , north hampshire , north somerset , nottinghamshire , shropshire , south hampshire , south lancashire , south northumberland , south - east yorkshire , south - west yorkshire , stafford , surrey , warwickshire , west gloucestshire , west norfolk , west suffolk , westmorland and wigtownshire ( nbn atlas ) .
also recorded in the republic of ireland ( karsholt and van nieukerken in fauna europaea ) . see also ireland ' s nbdc interactive map .
distribution elsewhere : widespread in continental europe including austria , belgium , czech republic , danish mainland , estonia , european turkey , finland , french mainland , germany , hungary , italian mainland , latvia , lithuania , luxembourg , norwegian mainland , poland , romania , russia - central , east and north , slovakia , sweden , switzerland and the netherlands ( karsholt and van nieukerken in fauna europaea ) .
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wingspan 10 to 12 mm . the small white and dark blotched adult is quite distinctive .
the larvae mine the stems of reed canary - grass and common reed ; occasionally on other grasses . the pupa is anchored externally on the foodplant by a silken girdle .
occurring widely in england as far as southern scotland , less so in wales and ireland . in the butterfly conservation’s microlepidoptera report 2011 this species was classified as common .
occasional in leicestershire and rutland . l & r moth group status = c ( very scarce resident or rare migrant ) .
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food plant : phalaris arundinacea ( reed canary - grass ) , common reed ( phragmites communis ) and other grasses such as dactylis glomerata ( cock ' s - foot ) , meadow grass ( poa spp . ) .
notes : makes a large whitish blotch as the larva mines the leaf downwards ( as shown ) . the frass tends to be deposited in the upper part of the mine . the larva left the mine on 29 . iv . 2006 and pupated on 01 . v . 2006 . adult emerged 11 . v . 2006 .
blå punkter visar fynd registrerade i artportalen och övriga databaser anslutna till lifewatch . kan innehålla observationer som inte är validerade . kartan uppdateras var fjärde vecka .
i det avancerade verktyget kan man söka ut och få fram artlistor , t ex arter i ett visst län , i en viss biotop , substrat , som påverkas av en hotfaktor , eller som är knutna till en sk värdart , t ex trädet alm . dessa kan även kombineras .
söka fram arter som är rödlistade , knutna till alm , är beroende av död ved och som finns i kronobergs län .
söka fram arter som är rödlistade , lever i småvatten och som påverkas negativt av igenväxning .
defaultläget i verktyget är arter som är rödlistade 2015 och dessa är klassade på samtliga sökfaktorer . under fliken rödlistekategori kan man dock välja att även inkludera arter som inte är rödlistade . om man väljer att inkludera icke rödlistade arter behöver man vara medveten om att samtliga arter inte är klassade på samtliga faktorer . nedan en sammanställning av vad som är komplett .
denna funktion används när du vill skapa din egen lista av arter att hantera . du kan t . ex . navigera mellan arterna i listan genom att klicka på deras namn . du kan också välja att använda knappen ”jämför arter” för att se bilder , kartor och kännetecken i en jämförelsevy .
du kan komponera ditt eget urval av arter genom att klicka dig fram via släktträdet och där välja arter eller artgrupper till din lista . ett annat sätt att göra ditt urval är att använda fliken ”filtrera” , där du kan söka på olika egenskaper . ovanför listan med sökresultatet finns en knapp ”lägg i mitt urval” .
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papilio cresphontes , the giant swallowtail or in its larval phase the orange dog or orange puppy , is a swallowtail butterfly common in parts of north america and marginally into south america .

in the united states and canada it is mainly found in the south and east .

with a wingspan of about 10 – 16 cm ( 3.9 – 6.3 in ) , it is the largest butterfly in canada and the united states .

papilio cresphontes

andrew brower marked
giant swallowtail ( papilio cresphontes )
as trusted on the
papilio cresphontes
page .
p . cresphontes adult , larva and pupa . - papilio cresphontes - bugguide . net
species papilio cresphontes - eastern giant swallowtail - hodges # 4170 - bugguide . net
papilio cresphontes dorsal wing view ( photographed by robert a . behrstock : urltoken )
papilio cresphontes . ventral wing view ( photographed by b . bouton : urltoken )
distribution of papilio cresphontes in the united states . ( map found at : urltoken )
giant swallowtail ( papilio cresphontes ) , adult . point pelee national park , ont . j . cossey
c . michael hogan marked
distribution
as hidden on the
papilio cresphontes cramer 1777
page .
c . michael hogan marked the classification from
irmng
as preferred for
papilio cresphontes cramer , [ 1777 ]
.
for five years straight , we were beyond excited to see the giant swallowtail butterfly ( papilio cresphontes ) gracing our northern garden .
this page is no longer being updated . for an updated version of this material , see : giant swallowtail ( papilio cresphontes ) .
figure 15 . prepupa of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 1 . adult giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , dorsal view . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 2 . adult giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , with wings closed . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 4 . full - grown larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 16 . laterial view of a chrysalis of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 17 . dorsal view of a chrysalis of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 6 . three - day - old larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 7 . five - day - old larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 12 . a mating pair of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , with the female above . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
a couple of these amazing butterflies have returned to the garden since their release . i’m hoping to find more papilio cresphontes eggs in the near future , and start this amazing adventure again…
figure 20 . sea torchwood , amyris elemifera l . , a host of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 21 . hoptree , ptelea trifoliata l . , in bloom ; a host of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 23 . mature larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , with everted osmeterium . head is to the left . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 10 . front view of larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , in snake - like
striking
pose . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 18 . hercules - club , zanthoxylum clava - herculis l . , a host of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 19 . lime pricklyash , zanthoxylum fagara [ l . ] sarg . , a host of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
schaus ' swallowtail ( papilio aristodemus , - rare , s . florida only ) has narrower pale band .
figure 13 . dorsal view on an egg of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , on hercules club , zanthoxylum clava - herculis l . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
crocker rl , simpson bj . 1979 . mexican orange , choisya dumosa ( rutaceae ) , a potential ornamental is host for orangedog , papilio cresphontes ( lepidoptera : papilionidae ) . southwest entomologist 4 : 11 - 13 .
figure 5 . newly hatched larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , with partially - eaten egg shell . head is to the right . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 9 . larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , in snake - like
striking
pose . head is to the right . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 14 . lateral view on an egg of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , on hercules - club , zanthoxylum clava - herculis l . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 11 . frontal view of larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , showing the osmeterium everted and possibly resembling the forked tongue of a snake . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 3 . young larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , ( illustrating bird dropping mimicry ) on ptelea trifoliata leaf . head is to the top . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
figure 8 . mature larva of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , showing the greatly swollen thorax that resembles a snake head . the larva ' s head is to the right . photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
if you live in the southeast , perhaps you’ve seen one of these beauties floating through your gardens . it’s the giant swallowtail ( papilio cresphontes ) , the largest butterfly in the united states . with a wingspan that can measure over 6 inches , this is one butterfly that will definitely catch your attention !
figure 22 . hoptree , ptelea trifoliata l . , with fruit ; a host of the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer . note the typical wafer - shaped fruit from which hoptree derives one of its common names ,
wafer ash .
photograph by donald hall , entomology and nematology department , university of florida .
susan d . finkbeiner , robert d . reed , robert dirig , and john e . losey . 2011 .
the role of environmental factors in the northeastern range expansion of / papilio cresphontes / cramer ( papilionidae ) ,
journal of the lepidopterists ' society , 2011 , 65 ( 2 ) : 119 - 125 .
here in central texas , some of the best known butterflies are those in the swallowtail family — they are large , beautiful , and quite mesmerizing as they flutter around the garden or into the woodlands . two of my favorite species use the same host plant , the wafer ash , or hop tree ( ptelea trifoliata ) . they are the giant swallowtail ( papilio cresphontes ) , seen at the end of this post , and the two - tailed swallowtail ( papilio multicaudata ) , the latter bearing a remarkable resemblance to the eastern tiger swallowtail .
the third stage of the pailio cresphontes butterfly life cycle is its most unspectacular without vibrant colors , deceptive disguises , or brilliant beauty . but inside this bland shell , one of nature’s most astonishing magic tricks is well underway :
the giant swallowtail , papilio cresphontes cramer , is a striking , wonderfully
exotic
- looking butterfly that is very abundant in florida . the adult butterfly is a welcome visitor to butterfly gardens and to general landscape plantings . the larval or caterpillar stage can be considered a pest due to its habit of feeding on the foliage of most citrus species . a few
orangedogs
, as the larvae are commonly called , can quickly defoliate small or young plants . however , larvae can be tolerated on large dooryard citrus trees in order to enjoy the soon - to - develop magnificent adult butterfly stage .
eisner t , pliske te , ikeda m , owen df , vazquez l , perez h , franclemont jg , meinwald j . 1970 . defense mechanisms of arthropods . xxvii . osmeterial secretions of papilionid caterpillars ( baronia , papilio , eurytides ) . annals of the entomological society of america 63 : 914 - 915 .
flight season : two generations have been recorded at its northern limit , the second being the more common . it flies from late may into july and again from late july into early september . at point pelee there is a partial third brood later in september , but cresphontes is most commonly seen in august ( wormington , 1983 ) .
field notes : larvae are not usually too difficult to find on new growth of citrus trees in phoenix and tucson . always try to locate new growth to find eggs and caterpillars . normally , i wouldn ' t recommend rearing swallowtails in a closed container ( with the other exception of p . indra ) except , p . cresphontes larvae usually have dry frass and don ' t get sick if you consistently remove frass and host daily .
adult : adult giant swallowtails are large butterflies with a forewing span of 11 . 7 to 17 . 5 cm ) ( avg . 14 cm ) for males and a span of 13 . 5 to 18 . 8 cm ( avg . 14 . 7 cm ) for females . the dorsal wing surfaces of the butterfly are black with a striking diagonal yellow bar across the forewings . the ventral wing surfaces are primarily yellow . the giant swallowtail is very distinct from all other swallowtails found in florida , except for the endangered schaus ' swallowtail , papilio aristodemus ponceanus , which is confined to the florida keys . the giant swallowtail can be distinguished from the schaus ' swallowtail by the yellow - filled
tails
( schaus ' swallowtail tails are all black ) , and the small , brick - red patch just interior to the blue median band on the ventral hind wing .
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the giant swallowtail is widely distributed throughout the american continent . its range extends from southern new england across the northern great lakes states , into ontario , through the southern portions of the central plains to the rocky mountains . the species ranges southward to florida and the caribbean , into the southwestern united states , and on through mexico to central and south america . the giant swallowtail is very common throughout the entire state of florida . it is active throughout the year in southern florida , and is common in northern florida , except in january and february .
larva : the five larval instars differ in appearance but they all share a resemblance to bird droppings . younger instars are more realistic bird - dropping mimics due to their smaller size . mature larvae usually rest on stems or leaf petioles ( hagen 1999 ) , but younger larvae often rest in plain view on the upper surfaces of leaves where bird droppings would be expected .
the younger instars are predominantly black or brown with a white saddle , while the older instars are mottled dark brown with a posterior that is white or cream - colored . younger instars also have setae ( hairs ) on prominent knobs . setae are lacking and knobs are reduced in older instars .
adult butterflies sip nectar from many flowers and are common , but spectacular , visitors to butterfly gardens . identified nectar sources include azalea , bougainvillea , japanese honeysuckle , goldenrod , dame ' s rocket , bouncing bet , and swamp milkweed . they may also sip liquid from manure . adult males patrol flyways through pine woods or citrus groves searching for females . flight is very strong and leisurely , and the butterflies may glide long distances between wing beats . courtship and copulation occur in the afternoon .
mated females usually lay their eggs singly on the upper surface of leaves of host plants . the 1 to 1 . 5 mm spherical eggs are cream to brown and typically have an irregular coating of an orange secretion that is reminiscent in appearance of orange peel . larvae progress through five instars . larval feeding usually takes place during the night .
larvae may pupate on small twigs on the host plant on which they were feeding or they may travel a short distance to a vertically - oriented structure , such as a fence or other plant . the brownish chrysalis is typically oriented at 45° to the pupation substrate , its posterior end attached directly to a silken pad on the substrate by its velcro - like cremaster , and its anterior end attached via a thin silken thread to the substrate . at least two , and probably three , generations occur each year in florida .
the larva is the well - known
orangedog
and is considered a minor pest of sweet orange , ( citrus × sinensis ( l . ) osbeck ( pro sp . ) . host plants of the larvae besides sweet orange include native members of the citrus family ( rutaceae ) including northern pricklyash ( zanthoxylum americanum mill . ) , hercules - club ( zanthoxylum clava - herculis l . ) , lime pricklyash ( zanthoxylum fagara [ l . ] sarg . ) , hoptree ( ptelea trifoliata l . ) , sea torchwood ( amyris elemifera l . ) , mexican orange ( choisya dumosa [ torr . ] a . gray ) , and a variety of exotic rutaceae including gasplant ( dictamnus albus l . ) and white sapote ( casimiroa edulis llave & lex . ) . plant names are from the usda plant database ( 2009 ) , wunderlin and hansen ( 2003 ) , or wunderlin and hansen ( 2008 ) .
mechanical control . homeowners may find that just a few larvae of the giant swallowtail can defoliate small , potted or planted citrus plants . larvae should be hand - picked from these small plants so that blossom and fruit yield are not drastically reduced . mature dooryard trees are large enough to withstand some defoliation .
chemical control . mature commercial citrus trees can withstand infestation by many larvae . however , nursery stock and young grove trees can be protected with bacillus thuringiensis and synthetic insecticides when necessary , as described in the florida citrus pest management guide for chewing insects ( see
orangedog
) .
cech r , tudor g . 2005 . butterflies of the east coast : an observer ' s guide . princeton university press . princeton , new jersey . 345 pp .
daniels jc . 2003 . butterflies of florida : field guide . adventure publications , inc . cambridge , minnesota . 256 pp .
gerberg ej , arnett jr . rh . 1989 . florida butterflies . natural science publications , inc . baltimore , maryland .
glassberg j , minno mc , calhoun jv . 2000 . butterflies through binoculars : florida . oxford university press . new york , new york . 256 pp .
hagen rh . 1999 . prolegs of papilionini ( lepidoptera : papilionidae ) : alternative solutions to the problem of attachment . pp . 237 - 251 . in byers gw , hagen rh , brooks rw . entomological contributions in memory of byron a . alexander . natural history museum , university of kansas , lawrence , kansas , usa .
kimball cp . 1965 . arthropods of florida and neighboring land areas . vol . 1 . division of plant industry , florida department of agriculture , gainesville , florida . 363 pp .
leslie aj , berenbaum mr . 1990 . role of the osmeterial gland in swallowtail larvae ( papilionidae ) in defense against an avian predator . journal of the lepidoptera society 44 : 245 - 251 .
minno mc , butler jf , hall dw . 2005 . florida butterfly caterpillars and their host plants . university press of florida . gainesville , florida . 341 pp .
minno mc and emmel tc . 1993 . butterflies of the florida keys . scientific publishers . gainesville , florida . 168 pp .
minno mc and minno m . 1999 . florida butterfly gardening : a complete guide to attracting , identifying , and enjoying butterflies of the lower south . university press of florida . gainesville , florida . 210 pp .
opler pa , krizek go . 1984 . butterflies east of the great plains . an illustrated natural history . the johns hopkins university press , baltimore , maryland . 294 pp .
scriber mc , tsubaki y , lederhouse rc . 1995 . swallowtail butterflies : their ecology & evolutionary biology . scientific publishers . gainesville , florida . 459 pp .
usda . ( 2009 ) . plant database . usda national resources conservation service . urltoken ( 8 april 2009 ) .
wunderlin rp and hansen bf . 2003 . guide to the vascular plants of florida . 2nd ed . university press of florida . gainesville , florida . 787 pp .
wunderlin rp , hansen bf . ( 2008 ) . atlas of florida vascular plants . institute for systematic botany . urltoken ( 8 april 2009 ) .
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upcoming events 2018 bugguide gathering in virginia july 27 - 29 : registration and discussion photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in wisconsin , july 10 - 12 photos of insects and people from the 2014 gathering in virginia , june 4 - 7 . photos of insects and people from the 2013 gathering in arizona , july 25 - 28 photos of insects and people from the 2012 gathering in alabama photos of insects and people from the 2011 gathering in iowa photos from the 2010 workshop in grinnell , iowa photos from the 2009 gathering in washington
adult :
black with a yellow x on the front wing and basal and subapical bands on the hind wing . usually easily distinguished from p . thoas by the lower three spots in the outer row on the front wing being much larger than the rest and running ( at the top ) into a distinct offset in the second row . [ in p . thoas the lower four or five spots in the outer row are fairly even in size , tapering gradually down in size upward ; not running into an offset in the second row at the third spot . ]
larvae feed on leaves of plants in the citrus family ( rutaceae ) , including citrus ( citrus spp . ) , pricklyash ( zanthoxylum spp . ) , hoptree ( ptelea trifoliata ) , rue ( ruta graveolens ) , etc . adults take flower nectar from a variety of herbaceous plants and shrubs
1 . egg . 2 . egg and first instar caterpillar . 3 . caterpillar . 4 . caterpillar in defensive posture . 5 . caterpillar ready to pupate . 6 . pupa . 7 . adult .
pinned adult image plus description , biology , larval and adult food , us distribution map ( butterflies and skippers of north america , nearctica . com )
a new heraclides swallowtail ( lepidoptera , papilionidae ) from north america is recognized by the pattern on its neck . kojiro shiraiwa , qian cong , nick v . grishin . 2014 . zookeys 468 : 85 - 135 .
simon & schuster ' s guide to insects dr . ross h . arnett , dr . richard l . jacques . 1981 . fireside .
disclaimer : dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service . we strive to provide accurate information , but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world . if you need expert professional advice , contact your local extension office .
contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content . click the contributor ' s name for licensing and usage information . everything else copyright © 2003 - 2018 iowa state university , unless otherwise noted .
or with prickly ash growing around towns in the midwest , florida . ( basically , anywhere in the united states where citrus or prickly ash is established . )
suitable lab host plants : most any species of citrus will work in the lab . potted rue is often sold in nurseries and works well .
how to find eggs : focus exclusively on host plants with new growth . this can be found either at the tips of branches or suckers coming out of the trunk of the tree .
how to find caterpillars in the field : look for isolated host plants ; host plants with new growth .
post - hibernation strategies : expose post - diapause pupae to warmer temperatures ( room temperature ) long - day photoperiod ; high humidity . ( mist spray pupae daily once your bring them out of the cold or refrigerator . )
avoiding diapause techniques : provide larvae with healthy host plant and expose larvae to long - day conditions .
disease prevention : change out host plant and remove frass every four to six days in an open bucket and every day using a closed container .
year - round resident in eastern north america and southern california and arizona , with migratatory presense in the regions between ( scott 1986 ) . habitats are woodland to citrus groves . host plants include many species , but mostly in one family , with most known hosts from rutaceae . hosts are usually trees or herbs . eggs are laid on the host plant singly . individuals overwinter as pupae . there are a variable number of flights based on latitude with the approximate flight time may15 - sep15 in the northern part of the range and jan1 - dec31 in the southern part of their range ( scott 1986 ) .
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only 1 or 2 butterfly eggs out of 100 live to become adult butterflies .
giant swallowtail butterflies are one of the largest species in the us . they are found in states east of the continental divide as well as in the southern part of the western us .
these butterflies lay eggs on plants in the citrus family ; orange , grapefruit , kumkuat , etc . along with trees that come to mind when we think of the word ‘citrus’ , they eat plants such as hercules’ club , hop tree , and prickly ash .
they , like black swallowtail butterflies , also lay eggs on rue . if you have both black swallowtail and giant swallowtail butterflies laying eggs on rue , it can be handy to know that giant swallowtail eggs are orange / rust in color while black swallowtail eggs are cream / white in color .
when raising these caterpillars , remember that they rarely , if ever , move from citrus leaves to rue . they normally will starve to death . they simply do not recognize rue as food after eating citrus .
the caterpillars are called ‘orange dogs’ because of their occurrence on orange trees . it is one of the few butterflies that have a separate name for the caterpillar . there are several moths that have two names , like the ‘hickory horned devil caterpillar’ and ‘regal moth’ as names for the same moth .
the young caterpillars look much like wet bird droppings . older caterpillars looks like dry bird / lizard / critter poop . of course one of the best reasons to look like poop is the fact that few critters eat bird poop .
the osmeterium of the giant swallowtail caterpillar is red . when the caterpillar is disturbed , it quickly bends backward , extends its osmeterium , and touches whatever is touching it . the osmeterium has an odorous liquid on it .
before pupating , caterpillars empty their digestive tracts . swallowtail caterpillars tend to have a ‘frass dump’ ( the last expelled excrement of a caterpillar before it pupates ) that is runny and somewhat pudding textured .
swallowtail caterpillars prepare to pupate by attaching themselves by making a silk pad and button on an object . it crawls onto the pad and attaches its anal prolegs into the button . it then makes a silk girdle by touching its head down to the object , side to side , many times over . each time it leaves a strand of silk . the strands together make a strong girdle that holds the butterfly caterpillar .
when the caterpillar pupates , its old cuticle simply slips under the girdle and slips off the caterpillar . the ‘skinned’ caterpillar is the chrysalis .
diagnosis : the largest butterfly found in canada ( wingspan : 83 to 113 mm ) , the giant swallowtail has broad dark brown wings crossed on the upperside by a diagonal band of bright yellow spots . the underside is yellowish and the tail is broad with a yellow spot in the centre .
subspecies : the race of the butterfly reaching southern canada has been referred to as subspecies pennsylvanicus , but it is only weakly differentiated from the nominate subspecies and is not currently recognized .
range : a common and widespread tropical species , it ranges from central america northward through the eastern u . s . to the canadian border . in canada , it is a resident species in southwestern ontario , but strays have been taken in winnipeg , montreal , and one specimen near windsor junction in southern nova scotia . in 1992 , a stray was recorded in the ottawa area for the first time following high winds resulting from a hurricane in the southern u . s .
early stages : the larva is called the
orange dog
in the u . s . , where it can be a pest in citrus orchards . it is brown with a light cream saddle in the middle and a large cream patch on the tail , resembling a large bird dropping . it has been recorded on hop tree ( ptelea trifoliata ) and northern prickly - ash ( zanthoxylum americanum ) in ontario . both plants are common at point pelee , where the larvae can be found .
abundance : it is considered sporadic and rare in canada , except in southwestern ontario , where it can be commonly encountered at point pelee , pelee island , and a few other locations where the foodplants grow .
habits : the giant swallowtail flies in open woodlands and nearby fields . it is such a large butterfly that it continually vibrates its wings while feeding at flowers so that it does not tilt the blossom .
© 2002 . this material is reproduced with permission from the butterflies of canada by ross a . layberry , peter w . hall , and j . donald lafontaine . university of toronto press ; 1998 . specimen photos courtesy of john t . fowler .
photographs are the copyrighted property of each photographer listed . contact individual photographers for permission to use for any purpose .
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disclaimer : itis taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available , and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties . however , it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes . while every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up - to - date information available , ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the united states is a party , wildlife statutes , regulations , and any applicable notices that have been published in the federal register . for further information on u . s . legal requirements with respect to protected taxa , please contact the u . s . fish and wildlife service .
these caterpillars almost killed my little satsuma tree , but they are so cool that i couldn ' t bear to disturb them .
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( kansas : sedgwick county . residential house , 37° 40 ' 40 . 06
n , 97° 10 ' 27 . 94
w . in garden . september 19 , 2011 .
adult diagnosis : the giant swallowtail butterfly is the largest butterfly species of canada and the united states with a wingspan within the ranges of 10 to 16 cm . the wings are colored black or blackish brown and feature yellow banding on both the fore and hind wing dorsally . on the ventral side , the wings are mainly yellow with black venation . each hind wing tail features a yellow - orange colored eye , the eye can also appear reddish yellow . another single blue band can be distinguished above the eye . distinction between males and females is very difficult as both sexes are similar , however , females feature longer wing spans than males as adults .
adult natural history : adult swallowtails take in nectar from multiple floral sources for example , goldenrods and azaleas . males patrol pine woods during the afternoon in search of mates to court or copulate with . can also be found patrolling citrus groves for the same reasons . they can glide long distances before needing to beat their wings again . the following video shows the length of their glide before having to flap again .
mates copulate facing away from each other so that the genitals face each other . females oviposit caramel colored eggs usually on the topsides of leaves . giant swallowtail caterpillars visually appear much like large bird droppings on plants . if predators are not fooled by their appearance , the caterpillars can extend their v - shaped osmeterium and release a foul odor to drive away predators .
the migration pattern is similar to that of monarch butterflies , giant swallowtails from the north migrate southwards during the cold seasons .
distribution : the giant swallowtails is spread throughout north america including parts of canada and as far south as central and parts of south america . in the united states , sights have been reported mostly in the south central and south eastern parts of the united states and appearing all year round in florida .
habitat : adults can be found in pine forests and in floral gardens for northern inhabitants . southern adults prefer to live in citrus groves along with the aformentioned habitats .
diet : adults feed on the nectars of many flowers including those of goldenrods , azaleas , bourgainvilla , swamp milkweed , etc . larvae preferrably feed on the leaves of citrus trees and plants .
stokes , donald , lillian stokes , and ernest williams . stokes butterfly book : the complete guide to butterfly gardening identification , and behavior . 1st ed . new york : little , brown and company , 1991 .
latimer , jonathan p . , and karen s . nolting . butterflies . 1st ed . new york : houghton mifflin company , 2000 .
schappert , philip . a world of butterflies : their lives , behavior , and future . 1st ed . ontario : firefly books ltd , 2005 .
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many swallowtail caterrpillars are bird poop mimics in their early instars , but the giant swallowtail keeps it up through the entire series of larval stages . that means a
mature
bird poop roughly 5 centimeters long . when this photo was taken , it was a bit over 3 centimeters long . ( note that many caterpillars besides swallowtails also mimic bird poop . )
october 17th . the caterpillar is suspended by a silken
belt
and button of silk at the tip of the abdomen .
october 18th . the transformation . still images animated at three speeds : 15 frames per second ; 2 frames per second ; and 3 seconds per frame .
october 18th . key images from the video . 2 : 10 pm . no apparent changes externally except that the prolegs are shrunken .
2 : 40 pm . shortly before this photo , the caterpillar had straightened out and begun to vibrate , presumably to detach the old skin from the new one . in this photo , you can see that the prolegs have moved posteriorly as the skin at the hind end has shriveled . the white bands on the side are tracheal linings being drawn out and back .
2 : 40 pm . the old skin behind the head has just begun to split . you can just see a bit of the chrysalis emerging .
2 : 41 pm . more of the chrysalis is visible , and the thoracic legs are being pulled further back .
2 : 43 pm . the head is now almost free and the old skin is about to slip under the silken support loop .
2 : 43 pm . someone ( i wish i could remember who - it was a long time ago ! ) described the process of sheeding the skin as equivalent to a woman removing her pantyhose without using her hands .
2 : 44 pm . head , antennae , and wings are now visible .
2 : 46 pm . wriggling to attach the cremaster ( tip of the abdomen ) to the button of silk under it . at the same time , allowing the cast larval skin to fall away .
2 : 46 pm . at this point , note how little of the abdomen is in contact with the stem . that ' s about to change .
2 : 52 pm . activity has slowed down , but over several hours , the shape will change subtly .
3 : 28 pm . the wings have grown larger and the body is arched backwards a bit . also , the abdomen has broadly molded itself to the stem , an element of the developing twig mimicry .
october 21st . the chrysalis has matured and hardened , slightly changing shape and color . note how . . . . . . the abdomen appears broadly attached to the stem ( but isn ' t , really ) ; . . . there are green specks resembling lichen or algae ; and , . . . the surface itself is craggy like a dead bit of twig .
finally , note how the tip ( head end ) appears broken off with dark
annular rings
at the center . as good as this broken twig mimicry is , imagine if i had provided a more mature common rue woody stem !
november 18th . no changes in the chrysalis . one month since transformation from caterpillar . looks like it will overwinter .
i realigned the specimen to better show the wings , antennae , and legs .
note how the dark upper surface scales influence the perceived color of the yellow scales on the underside .
too cold for it to survive outside and representing the growing repopulation of connecticut with this southern species , it will be placed in the uconn research collection for study .
the empty chrysalis . the old skin split between the antennae and the forewings .
all photos copyright stanley e . malcolm , 2014 . permission for non - commercial purposes is generally allowed after contacting stan ( stan
at
performance - vision . com ) . commercial use at higher resolution is available for a reasonable fee .
we planted 3 potential host plants for giant swallowtails caterpillars : common rue , wafer ash , and northern prickly ash . then , it happened…
unlike milkweed - obsessed monarchs , the giant swallowtail female will lay eggs on a wide range of host plants . their butterfly life cycle also takes up to 2 months , so the odds are stacked against northern gardeners wanting to raise them with fewer generations and more plants to search !
we didn’t have enough space to add full - grown citrus trees , so we stuck with some smaller host options . we planted a waferash tree , a slow - grower that tops out at 20 feet . we also planted common rue , and a northern prickly ash .
the eggs of the giant swallowtail are pretty easy to find compared to other butterfly species that resort to trickery and camouflage to keep their eggs safe .
the giant swallowtail female deposits orange - peel colored eggs on the surface of green leaves , which means you shouldn’t need to get out the old magnifying glass to confirm identity .
brenda of brenda’s butterfly habitat shared that zanthoxylum americanum ( northern prickly ash ) was the giants’ host plant of choice in her michigan garden .
we found five caterpillars on our plants , before searching for and finding two eggs . four of the caterpillars also had an orange hue :
this could be a normal color variation or they could have been in different developmental stages . ( unfortunately , we did not find them right away like with the tiger swallowtails we raised last season . )
we also made a fatal mistake with the two eggs we brought in . whenever you bring in eggs of any butterfly species , make sure they’re properly protected from ravenous caterpillars 😢
a third line of defense is the red horns ( osmeterium ) that emerge from the head of the caterpillar when it feels threatened . the osmeterium emits a pungent odor , that is supposed to make them unpalatable to predators , like ants .
i stroked one across its back , and picked up another that was looking for a fresh cutting…neither action was enough for them to ‘release the red cracken’ .
did you notice the dangerous thorn next to the back of the caterpillar photos above ? i was going to offer the caterpillars our rue plants without the thorny barriers , but decided to try serving this because i need to cut it back to avoid getting gouged when mowing the back yard .
that will fit inside a floral tube or other cutting container . before you grab the stem ,
if you’re replacing cuttings , set the new cutting container next to the old one so the caterpillars can crawl over to their new home and caterpillar food source .
as the caterpillars grow , so do their appetites . however , they haven’t been as ravenous as munching monarch caterpillars . even with 5 big caterpillars in close quarters , they peacefully coexist :
however , if a caterpillar forms its chrysalis in an inconvenient place it can be moved . check out the info on removing swallowtail chrysalides in our overwintering swallowtails post .
swallowtail butterflies ( in general ) have surprisingly fragile wings . this new butterfly lost a tail briefly fluttering around the mesh cage . thankfully , this doesn’t affect their flight :
swallowtails males are said to have thicker , more vibrant yellow wing markings , but there seems to be a lot of variation that makes sexing them from a dorsal view difficult , at best . for a positive male id , see if you can find claspers on butterflies you are raising .
please read the comments section below for more info about raising giant swallowtail butterflies .
i have 3 giant caterpillars on a small toothache tree ( prickly ash ) that i intentionally purchased with them on it a couple of weeks ago . i also have a hop tree . my property is a monarch way station and pollinator garden . i have host plants for many species of butterflies . the giant is one i have desired for a long time but never had in my garden . my question is will they overwinter in chrysalis in northwest georgia ? my sun porch will be heated all winter due to my citrus trees i bring inside . will they emerge due to the warm sun porch or should i take the trees outside with the chrysalis ? they caterpillars have gotten pretty big but i must confess that i don’t know how big they will get when they are ready to go into chrysalis . they were very small a couple of weeks ago . i consider myself an expert with monarchs but am at a loss with the giant swallowtail . monarchs are emerging daily and i am tagging and releasing them after testing for parasites . will the giants stay on my back porch this winter ?
hi gail , if you keep them in a heated porch with lots of sun , they will probably eclose much earlier than they should . check out this post for more info :
so sad , i had 3 in chrysalis last night and today they are gone . i have one left so i brought the pot inside . bird ?
hi teddi , sorry to hear this . yes , there are birds that eat chrysalides , lizards , mice :
i just found 2 giant swallowtail caterpillars in my orange tree . the tree also has a bad case of woolly mold . i would like to save the caterpillars while treating the mold . where do i begin ?
hi victoria , i would just feed them with the least - affected sections of the tree . for your tree , i would contact a local arborist and see what they suggest…
i just noticed i have at least ten of these caterpillars on my citrus tree i just brought inside recently . they are pooping all over the place , my plant is only 4 ft tall , think they will kill it ?
hi anthony , butterfly host plants typically grow back just fine . my concern would be that one host tree isn’t enough to feed that many caterpillars…
i hope you see this and respond quickly , as i have a big dilemma . a giant swallowtail laid eggs on a lemon tree , and now there are ten large caterpillars . problem is , soon that lemon tree will go into a sunroom for the winter , and the owner of the sunroom does not want swallowtail butterflies to take care of . we live in the northeast . we bought rue and planted it outside , and just transferred the caterpillars to the rue plants , along with a bunch of the lemon tree leaves , hoping they would adjust to the rue and make their chrysillis and overwinter on the rue . i just read that they rarely will eat rue after eating citrus , and they will starve . is that true ? what to do now ? help ! !
hi jane , i have never tried to switch them to rue before so you will have to see what happens . we feed ours northern prickly ash , which is a gst host plant native to your region :
hi there i transferred my giant swallowtails from prickly ash to rue . . it took about a day but they eventually started to eat the rue and thrived . . 2 turned into a chrysalis today right on the rue plant . now to wait until the spring ! ! note : this summer i transferred black swallowtails from dill to queen annes lace and they turned into amazing butterflies . still have 4 that had a brown chrysalis install of the green ones that emerged . apparently these want to overwinter . we will see monica t
hi , i’m in south florida and was happy to see giant swallowtail caterpillars all over my wild lime tree . my concern is lizards because i caught one eating a gulf fritillary caterpillar a few days ago . i brought the other cats inside but hate to bring in the giant swallowtail cats unless necessary .
hi karen , even if you bring in just a few you are making a difference . predators are part of a successful butterfly garden and you can’t ( and shouldn’t ) save them all if you want to support a healthy ecosystem . good luck with your caterpillars !
thanks tony , well 4 of 7 survived . the 2 raised on the wild lime leaves wouldn’t eat the rue but the younger ones switched over fine . however , the adults made their chrysalis’ yesterday on the rue , not the branches i added . one already fell . how long until it hardens enough to rehang and would you use contact cement ?
just saw your previous answer to this . . thanks ! no more yet but wish someone would have told me how opposite these are to monarchs or gulfs so i wouldn’t have been such a wreck . they barely eat or move in comparison : )
hi karen , i have not had to rehang a swallowtail chrysalis before but have heard that contact cement works . if you use it , please report back with experience…good luck !
i have a pupating gsw whose bottom - end silk has dislodged . he’s on his side , mostly hovering . should i set him upright with tape or something ? if so , when is it safe to do so ? ( he jerks right now , if i try to touch his silk girdle . )
hi katrina , i would wait to do anything until it pupates and the chrysalis hardens . here’s more info :
in my attempt to attract the monarch butterfly , of which i have only spotted one this year in my garden , i planted rue , fennel , and dill . although the numbers are not impressive we were so delighted this year that we have released 13 black swallowtails and 5 giant swallowtails !
we have never seen a giant before but the majority of the eggs and caterpillars were found on our rue plant more than the dill or fennel . we are fortunate to have a nursery less than a mile away that has everything i need for my butterfly garden . they also allowed a lady to install a screened in butterfly area and we have been able to gain much knowledge from her over the year .
hi tony , i was so happy to see you getting into the swallowtails . i have been raising monarchs here in florida but have expanded to cloudless sulfurs ( they love the cassia plants ) , gulf fritillaries and zebra longwings ( love the passion vine for nectar and host ) and polydamus swallowtail which loves my pipevine as a host plant . have dozens of babies , gave up trying to bring them all in . i enjoy your posts and all the great information you provide . i will say , i am seeing less monarchs this year , but have done my best to contribute to the population ! judy
hi tony ( and butterfly fans ) , i am hoping to find a source for some northern prickly ash saplings . . 2 or 3 i would hope . i live in northern va . i would like to try to raise a few giant swallowtails . i haven’t seen any nearby but i know that some have been raised in this general area .
i have successfully raised some eastern black swallowtails on parsley or dill inside . last year i had some dill outside ( that i was trying to raise for myself ) that were decimated by black swallowtail cats . initially i was angry at the invasion but then i was happy–it didn’t last though–my carolina wren discovered the bonanza of cats the next week and stripped the dill of cats in one morning to feed her brood . i was angry all over again for losing the cats . ( since i was raising the dill for myself i hadn’t brought in the cats . ) then i decided that i was feeding the birds year round so i had to accept the circle of life . this year i planted parsley and dill for the butterflies but to date no eggs or cats…sigh .
i have started a couple good sized milkweed patches in the yard for monarches . i have seen one lone male around them but again no females to date . no eggs or cats either . i just ordered 10 monarch eggs / cats ( no choice which i get ) . i will be raising them inside . i hope i will get a female or two to lay eggs outside in the patches . i have common , swamp ( white and pink ) , tropical , hairy balls and butterfly weed in my milkweed patches .