To say Mass Audubon has been all aflutter over the recent spate of giant swallowtail sightings is putting it mildly. Why are we getting so excited about a butterfly? Well, the giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) was generally considered a rare butterfly in the state, usually spending most of its time to the south and west of Massachusetts.
In fact, according to Butterflies of Massachusetts, between the years 2000 and 2008, there were no giant swallowtails spotted in the Commonwealth. Then a few sightings were reported in 2009 and 2010 and even more in 2011. But this year, there have been many reports from all over the state including Ipswich River (Topsfield), Arcadia (Easthampton and Northampton), Drumlin Farm (Lincoln), Wellfleet Bay (South Wellfleet), and Broad Meadow Brook (Worcester).
Sharon Stichter, editor of the Butterflies of Massachusetts website, confirms that giant swallowtails have been reported in 2012 from just about all areas of Massachusetts. “Last year, we had the first-ever large influx of this southerly species at Sheffield at the beginning of the summer season. Then the offspring (the second brood) radiated out over the state, laying eggs on host plants,” she said.
How could a butterfly that was once rare in Massachusetts be seen in so many places? The short answer: Climate is an important factor in the shifting ranges of many species worldwide, and there is evidence that this is true for Massachusetts, too.
Stichter notes that the unusually mild 2011-2012 winter allowed for many of their chrysalids to survive, resulting in this year’s even larger summer flight. However, she adds, a cold winter could knock the species back to further south, at least temporarily.
It’s not just the giant swallowtail that’s relocating. According to a new study just published by Harvard Forest scientists and the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (including Stichter), there is evidence of “strong shifts in butterfly populations due to climate warming in the state.” The report goes on to say that some species that were once common are showing sharp declines, and southern species, like the giant swallowtail, are showing some of the biggest increases.
Identifying a Giant Swallowtail
While you may find a giant swallowtail around its host plants, which include northern prickly ash and hop tree, you’re most likely to see one feeding from common nectar-producing species such as milkweeds, bee balm, and thistles, among others.
Just don’t let its cousin, the more commonly seen eastern tiger swallowtail, confuse you. Here’s how to tell them apart:
Eastern tiger swallowtail
- A tiger swallowtail’s open wings are mostly yellow with thin brown vertical stripes and a brown border across bottom.
- When on a plant, a tiger swallowtail will settle its wings for a few seconds at a time.
Giant swallowtail
- A giant swallowtail’s open wings are mostly deep brown with a yellow stripe running across to top and lower wings.
- A giant swallowtail typically flutters constantly while nectaring.
- The giant swallowtail has X-like yellow markings near the end of the upper surface of the wing tips and a yellow spot on the tails.
Have you seen a giant swallowtail in Massachusetts? If so, tell us when and where in the comments.
I saw another Giant Swallowtail in my back yard a few days ago in Rowley, MA visiting cone flowers and butterfly bush. This is the third year in a row I have seen one here. This one was much larger in nice fresh condition. It appeared to be newly hatched, which implies they are breeding in the area rather than migrating. It is amazing to see these spectacular butterflies in the northeast. I did get a nice picture of it as well.
Just spotted giant swallow tail in flower garden we have many different kinds of butterflies lots of milkweed ,touch me not, burning bush,pine apple sage,ash,maples,lantanas,cone flowers ,red cone,many many more flowers these are few here in northport Alabama we raise monarch that will leave here to go on journey will live 6 to8 months humming birds, humming moths
I forgot to mention that it is mostly sunny and 94° in the shade.
Does this trump naysayers re. climate warming?
Nick Fleck
Today my wife and I have watched for around 20 minutes these most unusual flyers: The Giant Swallowtail.
(S)he has been on red Petunias and yellow zinnias, preferring the zinnias. It caught my eye because of its unusual slow flight motion. A song sparrow that alighted near it seemed dwarfed by it. A half hour later it is still in my garden of volunteers and a few domestics. We watched from 3:30 PM as I said for about 20 minutes. Absolutely distinctive!
We live in Northfield, MA about a mile from the N.H. border.
I would be interested to know if others have been seen in this area. Perhaps by members of the Athol bird and nature club.
I live in Mentor, Ohio and I currently found a giant swallowtail in my backyard. 07/21/2016 at 4:30 pm. I have a picture of it on my phone I just don’t know how to submit it. Feel free to email me and I can email you a picture. [email protected]
I live in Nashville Tennessee. On August 11, 2015, early afternoon I was intrigued by the Giant Swallowtail fluttering from flower to flower on my Buddleia ‘Purple Haze’ butterfly bush. I was fascinated by the constant fluttering as it was nectaring. Grabbed my camera and finally did get an acceptable pic. Is there a place one can send photos?
Kath
I saw a Giant Swallowtail on 8/28/2014 in my garden in Brattleboro, VT. It was late evening, well into dusk and the butterfly was feeding from the Beebalm. It was about the size of a hummingbird and had an unusual wing flutter. Quite beautiful.
Have some great pictures and video of the daily visitor to our deck in Scituate, MA, taken today.
I was splitting wood with my son on August 26 in Huntington, MA when one came fluttering by. I turned off the log-splitter to point it out to my son because I have never seen one before. Spectacular!
I’m not in Massachusetts but thought I’d let you know as a geographical reference that I also had a Giant Swallowtail in my garden here in Oxford, Michigan. Maybe they are spreading out. I hope so. I took some pix of it, I’d never seen one before and it was beautiful.
Have seen a giant swallowtail several times this past week nectaring on my purple coneflower and zinnias. I live in Heath. Hard to get a good photo of them because they don’t sit still for very long! Even from a distance, I could tell it was a swallowtail I had never seen before.
Just saw a giant swallowtail butterfly in Chelmsford MA
We had a giant swallowtail Aug. 15, 2014 in our yard in Nahant, MA. feeding on zinnias.
We enjoyed watching a giant feeding in our Sweet Williams for quite a while on August 9th. We are in Boylston, MA. Video at Woodlandridgefarm.com shows characteristic rapid wing flapping.
Spotted our second Giant Swallowtail yesterday 8/24/14 in Rowley, MA. The first one we saw was last year. This one was on our Butterfly Bush in the late afternoon sun.
Spotted in Plymouth, MA yesterday (August 9, 2014): http://imgur.com/2rbk3we
Updating from my earlier comment in May – I have indeed seen a Giant again this year, on two occasions. On August 23rd a female Giant appeared in the gardens in Concord, MA. She was nectaring on the tall Zinnias, and she was very interested in the rue (Ruta graveolens) that I’ve been growing for the Black Swallowtails. I looked for Giant eggs but only found Black Swallowtail eggs. The Giant female appeared a 2nd time a week later, and again appeared to oviposit on the rue.
I never found a Giant egg, but did find a 2nd instar caterpillar instead, while collecting rue for the Black Swallowtail caterpillars. I’ve been raising the Giant cat inside, and it is now in the process of pupating. Very exciting! I plan to over-winter this chrysalis with the Black swallowtail chrysalises and hope to have a successful eclosure next Spring.
Ruta graveolens is easy to start from seed, has lush foliage, is very cold hardy, and has the dual benefit of being a host plant for both Papilio polyxenes and P. cresphontes!
Spotted one in my backyard on Sept. 5, 2013 in Springfield, Mass. Not partically gathering nector, just flying around for about 10 Mins. Didn’t know what it was until going to this site, it almost looks like a common swallowtail when flying, but when it lands it has the diamond pattern on its wings.
Had a Giant Swallowtail visit a buddlea in my yard in Hampden, MA in August ,2012. One was spotted in neighboring Wilbraham this year. A photo of it appeared in the Wilbraham Hampden Times on Sept. 5, 2013.
I saw one gathering nectar from zinnias at Codman Estate in Lincoln MA. It moved quickly from flower to flower never resting in one place for very long.
Another sighting Aug. 22nd in Falmouth, MA. I didn’t get a photograph. I just knew that this was a different species for us and did a search when the field guide said this butterfly shouldn’t be here. Great to find this article and to be able to add another data point to this northward migration.
I saw one of these in July in my garden in Feeding Hills-could not figure it out until I saw this article! It’s been back a few times including yesterday. So cool!
P.S. Our sighting was in Douglas, MA.
My daughter “Moth” (camp counselor at Broad Meadow Brook!) spotted one on our buddleia yesterday (8/21/2013). We took pictures and a video.
I saw the Giant Swallowtail visiting my zinnias in my backyard garden about 2:30 on August 21, 2013. A FTE for me! It visited several zinnias, flew off, returned and continued sampling zinnias before it flew off again. What an amazing butterfly!
I forgot to put my town and state lanesborough MA
found last year 2012 and again this year 2013 on my butter fly bushes
Found one in my garden today in Norwell, MA. Magnficient.
Husband snapped a picture of one in Florence, Mass today!
Just saw a Giant Swallowtail floating around my yard in Groton, MA. Predictably it sampled several butterfly bushes and I was able to get some decent photos. Very pretty creature!
I photographed one in Stockbridge, MA on July 26, 2013
I neglected to tell you that I am in Pittsfield, Ma.
I believe a had a Giant Swallowtail in my garden today. It was beautiful.
I took a picture which I can send to verify.
I saw one of these amazingly beautiful and huge butterflies yesterday, 8/0/2013 in Moretown, VERMONT!!! I was so excited, I called my husband outside to see it. Tried to get a picture but it would not be still enough to get a good one. We have masses of bee balm and phlox and really enjoy the hummingbirds and hummingbird moths that visit. Now we have a new guest to look forward to!!
We had a Giant Swallowtail in our yard in Roslindale yesterday. Was able to get some great close-up photos of it while it was on our butterfly bush. (Please email me if you’d like copies of the photos.)
To show how widely these are spread across the country I spotted one on my walk along Travertine Creek in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Sulphur, Oklahoma this morning. Got a chance to observe it for about ten minutes. July 8th 2013
Adding this comment somewhat late, but I observed a Giant Swallowtail in my gardens in Concord, MA on 3 different occasions during the summer of 2012. I was able to take photos on 2 of the occasions. The butterfly nectared on Monarda fistulosa, Verbena bonariensis, and tall garden Phlox. Hoping to see one this year!
I observed a Giant Swallowtail in my back yard on June 18, 2013 in Rowley, Massachusetts in the northeast corner of the state. It was attracted to a hanging basket of Lantana, then landed in front of me on the ground. I have been observing butterflies in Massachusetts for 60 years and have never seen one here. They are very common in Florida in the spring and summer – the last one I saw was in Vero Beach Florida a few months ago.
Giant Swallowtails have been in Williamstown, last year and this summer, up until Aug 16. They were nectaring on butterfly bush. I found a caterpillar on my potted lemon tree, which I have now brought in. They are fabulous! I also have seen them in Pownal VT in a large population of Prickly Ash. HOpefully there will be offspring.
I found 25 larvae feeding on Wafer Ash in a meadow in Northfield, very close to the Vermont border
I encountered what I believe to be one on the ski run on the Great Blue Hill yesterday.
We saw one very clearly in our garden in Dana Point California, on September 16, 2012.
We feel a high degree of confidence in this–largest butterfly we have ever
seen. ID ed as black with definite yellow vertical stripe. Flew off before we could get camera.
Tom and Mary Bowne. [email protected]
Just had coffee with one this morning here in Fitchburg, MA!
I’ve finally had a chance to identify the gorgeous butterflies we took photos of in Marblehead on Aug. 19 – the Giant swallowtail was spectacular with it’s light underside contrasting with the darker upperside.
My family and I just saw a giant swallowtail in our backyard. What an amazing sight!!
Jeff,
LongBeach, California
I spotted a giant swallowtail in my garden in Wolfeboro, NH. September 1,2012
Last year my daughters and I (amateur lepidopterists) saw 2 giant Swallowtails in the Arnold Arboretum in Boston — this was shortly after hurricane Irene pasted through and I thought perhaps these butterflies had simply been swept northward by the winds — both were quite beaten up. This year however we have sighted perhaps 25-35 Giants in the Arboretum starting from about 4 weeks ago (mid July). On any given day we’ll see 3 or 5. Hopefully they are here to stay. As a side note, 3 other species have also had BIG years in Boston — early in the summer Red Admirals were everywhere, and recently an enormous Painted Lady boom has been abounding. It has also been a goof year for Monarchs.
What a timely post! I saw the giant swallowtail for the first time on August 19th in Cummington, MA. Strikingly large and distinct fluttering-
I spotted a Giant Swallowtail in my garden mid-August in New Boston, NH (Near Manchester).
I see these all the time in my back yard in Houston, TX. I have two that died in clear tape.
I had one on a deep purple butterfly bush. Only stayed about five minutes.
The two front wings were flapping furiously as it stabilized itself with its
feet and two hind wings. I would be interested to know what plants people
are seeing this Giant on.
– Carole –
I had the shock of actually seeing a Giant Swallowtail in a garden adjacent to a cemetery in Florence, MA. I am very familiar with butterflies in Massachusetts, as a child I collected butterflies & raised caterpillars which I released. The flight of the Giant Swallowtail is very different from the Tiger and Black Swallowtail. The yellow markings are much more predominant than the Black Swallowtail. The Tiger Swallowtail is very yellow in comparison to the Giant.
I was delighted to see and photograph a Giant in my Williamsburg, MA. gardens about a month ago.
Have found some Giants and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails on my property. Also have picture of one but not sure if it is a spicebush or black swallowtail.
Primarily around Butterfly bush, bee-balm and Cardinal Flower plants.