Photo copyright: Greg Sparks

Giant swallowtail

Papilio cresphontes

Lepidoptera: Papilionidae

Photos below copyright: Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu). Originals available from Biological Photo Service

Egg

Newly hatched larva

Larva

Larva with everted osmeteria

Prepupa

Pupa

Newly emerged adult. Photograph copyright: Don Bauman 


Laguna Beach, Orange County, CA. 08/07/04

Characteristics: The largest butterfly occurring in the United States

Larval food plant: Various citrus species, Rue. 

Distribution: Orsak (1977) listed this species only as "of possible Orange County Occurrence", but there are many recent sightings:  

1997-98:
San Clemente (Don Bauman)
Fullerton (Diana Bridgeford)
Laguna Beach (Robert Josephson)

1999: 
Irvine (Marika Walter)
Aliso Viejo (Jane Strong)
Monterey Park, Los Angeles County (Jane Strong)
La Jolla, San Diego County (Judy Vacquier)

2004:
Laguna Beach (Peter Bryant)
Fountain Valley (Sheila Cadilli)
Huntington Beach (Brian Stock)
La Jolla, San Diego County (Gary Fogel)
Orange (Charlotte Mason)
Costa Mesa (Gale Cunningham)

2005:
Redlands, San Bernardino County (Patty Peoples)
Santa Ana (Don Millar)
San Clemente (Michael Hoffman)
Lomita (Glenn Kageyama)
Tustin (Joyce Thompson)

2006:
Irvine (Ron Hemberger)
Fullerton (Ron Hemberger)
Garden Grove (Carole Shelby)
Laguna Niguel (Greg Sparks)
Huntington Beach (Mary Nomura)
Lomita (Glenn Kageyama)

2007:
Riverside County (Nancy Macias)
San Diego (Sheila Kelly)
Long Beach (Harry and Jean Pope)
Fullerton (Ron Hemberger)
Tustin (David and Annette Hoshour)
San Juan Capistrano (
Amy & Erich Riedl)

Orsak, L. J. (1977). The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiology Miscellaneous Publication #3.  University of California Press, New York.  349pp.

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