Papilio cresphontes

Rare stray

Two broods: early May, and late June through August.

Open woodlands, fields, hillsides near streams.

4″ to 6¼″ wingspan

This is a large swallowtail butterfly. It has a wingspan of 4″ to 6¼″.

The upper side of the wings are dark brown, almost black. There are two bands of bright yellow spots, a subapical band and a basal band. The two bands cross near the tips of the forewings, forming an irregular “X” shape. The is an orange spot and blue scale on the inner margin. The hind wings have “tails” with a large, yellow spot.

The underside of the forewing is dark brown with two bands of pale yellow spots large enough to make the wing appear mostly pale yellow. The underside of the hind wing is mostly pale yellow with a median band of orange spots and blue scales.

The body is pale yellow.

The caterpillar is shiny dark brown with three white spots, mimicking a fresh bird dropping.

In Minnesota, common hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) and northern prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum).

Flower nectar.

Females lay single eggs on the leaves of host plants.

It overwinters as a chrysalis.

This is the largest butterfly in North America north of Mexico.