In this climate, giant swallowtail eggs hatch in days to a week. The larvae, or caterpillars, experience five growth spurts called instars, each lasting about a week.

The first instar is black with a white band or saddle around its midsection. If the caterpillar does not move and if you do not look carefully, you will probably mistake it for a bird dropping. Some ...

Understanding the life cycle of the giant swallowtail can help gardeners create a supportive environment for this butterfly. The life cycle consists of four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa ...

The caterpillar, mottled brown and white and larger at one end, is disguised to look like bird droppings. If it is poked or disturbed, it will extrude a two-pronged red scent gland from its head ...

Track sightings of the giant swallowtail (and other butterflies) at the citizen-science site e-butterfly.org. Contact Joel Banner Baird at 802-660-1843 or [email protected]. Follow him ...