Swallowtails

Here are pictures of some of the swallowtails that we see in our garden.  The Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes) is by far the most common.  This is because it is attracted by our orange trees and rue, which its larvae feed on.  They really love the orange leaves, and often get caught on a porch that opens up by a big orange tree.  When this happens, we have to help them by gently removing them back outdoors.  Here is one on the porch screen.  There were actually two of them in the porch today.  Because of their love of orange (and other citrus) leaves, their larvae (that look like bird droppings) are often called “orange dogs.”  The larvae have these wacky red scent horns that come out when they are disturbed.  We are happy to share a few leaves with them.

Giant Swallowtail

The Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), as well as other black swallowtails, like our parsley and rue for laying their eggs.  Their larvae prefer parsley, and plants in the parsley family, but if there isn’t enough parsley they will settle for rue.  This one is on a lantana.  All of the butterflies drink from the lantanas, as well as flowers like those on our chaste berry tree, and buddleias, bee balm and verbena.  Many of the smaller (non-swallowtail) butterflies prefer daisies, sunflowers, and catnip and mint blossoms.  This Eastern Black Swallowtail is a female, which you can tell from the row of yellow spots on her wings.

Eastern Black Swallowtail

Eastern Black Swallowtail drinking nectar

This is a Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus multicaudatus).  The Latin name makes it sound like it should be a dinosaur or something.  It is sitting on an orange tree, but I don’t think it lays its eggs there.  I may have seen one of its larvae on a lilac (though it could have been the larva of another swallowtail).  In this photo it is easy to see the two “tails” at the end of each of its wings.

Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail