East Texas is home to a wide array of fascinating wildlife, including the giant swallowtail butterfly. Known for its impressive size and striking appearance, this butterfly is a frequent visitor to ...

The first time I saw a giant swallowtail butterfly years ago, I just happened to walk out to get the mail and saw it nectaring on lantana in my flower bed by the road. What a surprise! This huge pale ...

Look up in the sky. It's bird. It's a plane. No — it's a giant swallowtail, often mistaken for those popular Japanese film star icons, Ro-dan or Mothra. The giant swallowtail is the largest of all ...

Giant Swallowtails are among the largest butterflies in North America. Vicky McMillan With wingspans up to five or six inches, Giant Swallowtails (Papilio cresphontes) are arguably the largest ...

As I’m writing this, a grandmother is outside with her daughter’s two small children. They are counting the butterflies flitting about among the flowers. Verbena bonariensis is a big favorite, a ...

There’s a new bug in the garden, and it looks a lot like bird poop. Unappetizing, you bet, but so clever: This odd little caterpillar’s job is to avoid being eaten, and one day -- like magic -- become ...

Is that something a bird left behind? No, it's an orange dog caterpillar, the larvae of the Giant Swallowtail butterfly, which is native to our area. Believe it or not, that caterpillar is about to ...

Why are we asking for donations? Why are we asking for donations? This site is free thanks to our community of supporters. Voluntary donations from readers like you keep our news accessible for ...

Streaked and gooey-looking, the caterpillar of North America's largest butterfly looked for all the world like a big bird dropping. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as you well know,” advised ...

Right now, the landscape is filled with nectar-producing plants that are especially attractive to butterflies and other pollinators. The top-performing plants include mistflower, porter weed, zinnia, ...