Eastern Giant Swallowtail

Eastern Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes) is in the Swallowtails and Parnassians family (Papilionidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 29,322 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in August.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Eastern Giant Swallowtail: observations by month (U.S.)

About Eastern Giant Swallowtail

Papilio cresphontes, the giant swallowtail or in its larval phase the orange dog or orange puppy, is a swallowtail butterfly common in parts of North America and marginally into South America. In the United States and Canada it is mainly found in the south and east. With a wingspan of about 10–16 cm (3.9–6.3 in), it is the largest butterfly in Canada and the United States.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Eastern Giant Swallowtail by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related butterflies (Swallowtails and Parnassians)

Eastern Tiger SwallowtailPapilio glaucus

Pipevine SwallowtailBattus philenor

Black SwallowtailPapilio polyxenes

Spicebush SwallowtailPapilio troilus

Western Tiger SwallowtailPapilio rutulus

Zebra SwallowtailEurytides marcellus

Anise SwallowtailPapilio zelicaon

Western Giant SwallowtailHeraclides rumiko

Photography tips

• Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
• Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
• Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.

FAQ