Page 50 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Papilionidae
DISTRIBUTION From Mexico south to Argentina, including the Caribbean,
with a small population in southern Florida
HABITAT Open areas and secondary growth
HOST PLANTS Zanthoxylum spp. and Citrus spp.
NOTE Caterpillars that resemble bird droppings in early instars
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but locally common

ADULT WINGSPAN
5¼–5½ in (134–140 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
3–4 in (76–100 mm)
PAPILIO ANDROGEUS
ANDROGEUS SWALLOWTAIL
48
CRAMER, [1775]

Androgeus Swallowtail caterpillars hatch from green eggs laid
singly on leaf tips of the host plant and are initially orange brown
with a shiny skin. Typical of swallowtails, they resemble bird
droppings, with characteristic streaks of blue throughout the
brown areas, and feed openly on leaf upper surfaces. Within
a month, the larvae reach full size and spend most of their
non-feeding time on twigs, where they are well camouflaged.

When fully developed, the caterpillars pupate on twigs. In parts

of the range, pupae overwinter, and the adults fly in the spring.
The Androgeus Swallowtail caterpillar is
mainly brown with characteristic streaks The butterflies were unknown in Florida before 1976,
of blue gray. It has elongated, cream-colored
patches on the thorax that extend to the front but they are strong fliers and may have strayed into the
of the brown head and a creamy dorsal saddle
from the rst to fourth abdominal segments. state from the Caribbean. However, the Florida population is
The prolegs and nal three abdominal similar morphologically to the population in South America.
segments also bear white markings. When

threatened, the larva can swell the thoracic The larvae were first discovered feeding on Citrus, so they could
region to expose long, orange, forked
osmeteria, giving it a snakelike appearance. have arrived as caterpillars or eggs on imported Citrus varieties.
The larvae were once considered a pest on Citrus, but they inflict

far less damage than related species of the Heraclides subgenus,
such as the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) or the Lime
Swallowtail (P. demoleus).

Actual size