This elegant creature was slowly fluttering through the yard today, lingering near the water fountain. The giant swallowtail, or Papilio cresphontes, is the largest butterfly in the US, with a wing span that can reach 5-6 inches. It's hard to tell just how big this one is from this photo (and please disregard my landlord's affinity for bamboo), but it was a decent size.
More info from the very interesting Lili Singer here.
Giant swallowtails only started showing up in southern California 10-15 years ago, and much like myself, are native to the southeastern US.
I often think about what it means to be native to somewhere. Having grown up in several very different places, I have a hard time feeling native to anywhere. I began my slow progression to southern California about 15 years ago as well. In that, the giant swallowtail and I are more kindred than I immediately thought.
3 comments:
Wow. I can't believe how large it is!
These are actually photos from two different days -- yesterday and today. I'll be checking the citrus trees to look for caterpillars. They are the ones that look like bird droppings!
Saw a third one of these today, hovering over the little fountain.
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