Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

SUPERFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEA

-Western Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides rumiko)

Heraclides rumiko, commonly known as the Western Giant Swallowtail, is a large and striking butterfly in the family Papilionidae. This butterfly has bold yellow and black patterned wings, forming a striking, irregular banded pattern. It is one of the largest butterflies in North America, with a wingspan that can exceed 10 cm. Heraclides rumiko occurs in the western United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America, occupying a wide range of habitats from deserts to woodlands.

Diet

Caterpillars feed primarily on plants in the citrus family (Rutaceae).
The caterpillars resemble bird droppings during their early stages, providing excellent camouflage against predators.
Adults visit flowers for nectar.

Range

Heraclides rumiko occurs from the southwestern United States south through Mexico and Central America to Panama.
In Mexico it is widespread outside the driest deserts and highest mountains and includes Guerrero.
It occurs in the Zihua area, where citrus and other Rutaceae provide suitable larval food plants.

Habitat

This large swallowtail favours warm, relatively open environments including tropical and subtropical woodland, forest edges, clearings, agricultural areas, gardens and urban landscapes.
It is particularly well adapted to human-modified habitats where citrus, rue and native Rutaceae are available.

Description

The Western Giant Swallowtail is a very large swallowtail with a forewing length of approximately 50–58 mm and a wingspan that can approach 10–13 cm.
The wings are dark brown to black with two prominent bands of maize-yellow spots across the forewings and hindwings. The hindwings have long, narrow tails and yellow markings near their bases and along the margins.