Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
I was going out this morning to pick tomatoes when I saw an unfamiliar butterfly on the Mexican Sunflowrer (Tithonia rotundifolia). Judy grabbed her camera and came outside to get some pictures. However, the humidity was so high that her lens fogged over.
So, if you’re wondering what photos look like taken with a fogged over lens, here you go. It took several minutes for the lens to clear.
The butterfly turned out to be a Giant Swallowtail. We’d never had one in the garden before to my knowledge.
The Giant Swallowtail was really loving the Tithonia, which has turned out to be golden in terms of attracting butterflies to the garden.
Plants in the citrus family are hosts to Giant Swallowtails. In Illinois, that means Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) and Hop (Ptelea trifoliate) trees, as well as Common Rue (Ruta graveonlens). I’m tempted to plant some Common Rue myself, though I’m not sure where to get hold of it. Giant Swallowtail caterpillars camouflage themselves by resembling bird poop.
The damaged wings indicate this particular Giant Swallowtail has taken some hard knocks, or bites.
The Swallowtail was fluttering from bloom to bloom on the Tithonia. Even while feeding he kept his wings moving, which made getting a good shot challenging for Judy. At one point, she saw a bumblebee chase the swallowtail away from a flower.
Giant Swallowtails aren’t uncommon, but I’m highly gratified every time I find a new butterfly species in the garden.
gardeninacity 
BRAVA! Excellent photos.
Thanks! Judy deserves all the credit.
These are wonderful photographs, well done Judy! That must of been quite exciting.
It really was!
Wow!!! (and jealous!)
Thanks.
Great photos! The lens fogging happened to me a few times last year due to the high humidity.
I saw some of the caterpillars last spring but haven’t seen the butterfly.
I still haven’t seen any caterpillars, but I am now determined to plant some common rue so maybe that will change.
How amazing! Kudos, Judy, for fine photos.
I haven’t actually seen the caterpillars, but as I wrote I’m very tempted to plant some Common Rue. What plant did you see the caterpillars on?
IVE GOT THE CAIAPILLERS ON MY TANGERINE TREE NOW.
This butterfly would not hold still for a second. I actually got these shots by using the sports setting, the shutter keeps clicking as you hold the button down – so I was shooting as the butterfly was moving and didn’t know what I got until we downloaded the pictures.
Hurrah for the sports setting.
Gorgeous bug. Your photos do it justice.
Thanks.
I never saw one of them in the garden, I thought they were yellow. Nice action shots Judy.
The body is yellow, though not the wings.
Wow, A little serendipity meshing well with your life; what a pleasant surprise! Thanks Judy, now I know what the sport setting does…makes sense. You two do a great job together; very interesting topics and great photos = most enjoyable!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Nice work, both of you. Beautiful little creature. There have been very few butterflies around here this summer.
There have definitely been more this year than last around here. Not sure if it is the Tithonia, or the weather, or what.
Isn’t that a treat!!! I would be over the moon to see a new butterfly in the garden! Such gorgeous photos of that guy! And he does look like bird poop as a caterpillar!!! Congrats on the new visitor! Happy weekend to you guys! Nicole
Thanks! Hope you had a good weekend, Nicole.
Wonderful! Great photos by Judy too!
Yes, they are!
A beautiful butterfly and it has the good taste to show itself off on your Tithonia.
Obviously butterflies are more intelligent than many give them credit for.
Great photos and good job seeing the difference. I wish I would have had this post a week or two earlier though since I’m pretty sure we had one too and I just didn’t know it. Thought it was an odd looking tiger swallowtail and gave it the usual look but then saw a local post on Facebook calling it a giant and recognized the pattern. Nice you have a garden so welcoming for wildlife.
I read that they are the largest of the North American swallowtails.
Wow! your humidity must be so high for the lens to fog over like that! your swallowtail is very different from our two and the caterpillars are very different too. Ours are green and red and feed on fennel.One of the reason I don’t cut back the fennel plants even if they seem very tall and about to seed-
Our Black Swallowtail feeds on fennel, parsley, and other Carrot Family plants. I have fennel growing in the herb garden but I’m going to have to pull some of it out.
Loved the foggy lens! Rue is usually sold as an “Herb”. It’s quite ornamental as you may already know.
I’ve never seen it except for photographs. I definitely want to plant some.
Love the patterning and colour – what a beautiful butterfly! Wonderful that you’ve attracted it to your garden.
Thanks, I’m very pleased with myself I must admit.
I’ve grown rue (the herb) quite successfully in IL as a perennial. There in a mounding one with yellow flowers and a taller one that seems to be formerly called thalictrum,with a lilac flower. I think I stopped growing it because more people were commenting on it causing skin reactions. It never had that effect on me.The interesting foliage and its mounding habit were quite nice. I think it is out there and still available, but it also seems to come readily from seed from what I have read. I always had just divided my clump.
The taller one is sold by North Creek Nurseries and in your area they partner with Midwest Groundcovers out in the western suburbs. (http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/meadow-rue/growing-meadow-rue-flowers.htm)
I’ve seen the taller one growing a couple years back at the CBG.
Thanks for the link. I checked out North Creek, their stuff looks good but they are wholesale only. I did find a few retailers online, though.
Gorgeous photos! Aren’t they impressive when they float through the air–they’re much larger than any butterflies I’d ever seen before. They seem to like Cosmos, Zinnias, Lantana, and Swamp Milkweed, too. I’m also wondering if my Lemon tree is attracting them this year. I haven’t found any larva on it, but maybe it’s just there and I’m thinking it’s bird droppings. 🙂
They may be really glad to see your lemon tree as there aren’t a lot of citrus in Wisconsin.
Oh, gorgeous photos! My fav is the second one and dare I suggest it is frameable! I haven’t grown Tithonia for years but your experience is so motivating and I love the color too. I must get some going next season. Thank you!
I’ll bet it would like your garden, it does well in hot, dry conditions.
oh, what beautiful photos! And, what, your tomatoes are ready to be picked already!? LOL.
Haven’t had much of a yield this year, except for the cherry tomatoes.
It can be so hard to get good photos of butterflies. My hat is off to Judy. Nice post, thanks for sharing.
I think the sports setting was key.
I’ll have to try that…thanks. 🙂
How wonderful to get that beautiful butterfly in your garden!
I was pretty excited.
Great pictures Judy! It’s always nice to have new visitors. It’s a beautiful creature. Glad to read that your mexican sunflower is proving to be very successful in attracting all sorts Jason.
It certainly is a beautiful creature, and large compared to other butterflies here.
I love your pics of the giant Swallowtail. What a treat. I need to read up to see if they are native to MA. We had a Lunar moth visit us a few years ago….I didn’t know what it was!
Wow Jason that is outstanding…don’t think I have seen these either.
I have never see that butterfly either. If you want, later on in the season I can send you seeds of Ruta graveolens. I have a patch of it and they produce a lot of seeds.
I like Thitonia but it does not seem to like me. I expect we are not hot enough.