All printables
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
Papilio cresphontes
North America's largest butterfly, Papilio cresphontes spans up to about 18 cm and traces a black wing crossed by two converging bands of yellow spots that meet at the wingtip, forming a shallow X when the wings are spread. Its caterpillar is one of the animal kingdom's best imp…
Did you know?
- Despite their beauty, Giant Swallowtail caterpillars are sometimes considered pests in commercial citrus orchards due to their appetite for citrus leaves.
- The caterpillar's osmeterium is not merely a scent gland but a mechanical one: it can be swung and pressed directly onto an attacking ant or wasp. Because the larvae feed on citrus, growers historically hand-picked them, but a mature tree can easily absorb the damage and the loss is mostly cosmetic. The giant swallowtail's northward range expansion is one of the more clearly documented butterfly responses to warming winters in eastern North America.
What I learned
Draw the giant swallowtail butterfly
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.