King Swallowtail Caterpillar

Description:

common name: giant swallowtail scientific name: Papilio cresphontes Cramer (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Papilionidae

Habitat:

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.