Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades Esper)
Wing span: 2 3/4 - 4 inches (7 - 10 cm).
Identification: Large and black with no tails. Female's upper forewing cell has diffuse white patch; hindwing has postmedian pink patch.
Life history: Females lay eggs in groups on host plant leaves. Caterpillars rest in clusters on host plant during the day and feed at night; they all feed and molt at the same time.
Flight: Several from May-October.
Caterpillar hosts: Trees in the citrus (Rutaceae) family including Citrus, Casimiroa, and Zanthoxylum species.
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Lowland tropical forests, citrus groves, gardens.
Range: From south Texas south to Argentina. A rare stray to Kansas, southeast Arizona, and west Texas.
