A New Vermont Butterfly

Breaking news. An alert observer, Ardys Fisher, discovered Vermont’s first official Giant Swallowtail (Papilio crestphontes) in Addison on July 30. This is the largest butterfly in North America. With trees and shrubs in the citrus family (Rutaceae) as its larval hostplant, Giant Swallowtail tends to have a southern distribution in the US. But it does wander northward. We’ve had unconfirmed reports of this butterfly in Vermont. But now the evidence is incontrovertible. Way to go, Ardys! That’s the proof above; Ardys’ husband Lionel got the photo. My photos of Giant Swallowtail, from the prairies of Missouri, are below. And here’s a link to the Butterflies and Moths of North America page on this species.