When is bird poop not bird poop?

When the bird poop is actually the caterpillar of one of the largest species of butterfly in Texas (or anywhere else).

Photo by john_e_wright

Texas may be known for Longhorns, cowboys, and rodeo, but we also have a very diverse butterfly population.

The Giant Swallowtail butterfly lays eggs on citrus trees (such as my orange tree, pictured above and below). When the caterpillars are ready, they create a chrysalis from which they will emerge in 10-12 weeks.

Photo by john_e_wright

The Giant Swallowtail can have a wingspan up to 7 in. (19 cm).

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Hi @john_e_w

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Hi @john_e_w ,

Welcome to Connect.

Thank you for sharing your post with us. Does the Giant Swallowtail butterfly lay eggs only on citrus trees? I would recommend you to read all the topics @ErmesT suggested in his comment above, as they are very helpful to get you started here on Connect.

Just to let you know that I’ve moved your post out of the spam and it is now visible publicly. Some posts are being automatically marked as spam, apologies for that. You can visit this article to learn more - Why was my Connect post marked as spam?.

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Interesting @john_e_w , sadly I cannot see the butterfly.

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Thank you, @ErmesT for providing those very informative links!

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Yes @InaS , it lays eggs and feeds only on citrus trees. In California it is called the orange dog or orange puppy because of the damage it does to the state’s citrus groves.

I have taken note of @ErmesT 's great information. Thanks for all your help and for removing me from spam.

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Hello @AdamGT . I don’t have any pictures of the butterfly, but you can see it here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_cresphontes

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@john_e_w this is a very interesting post. thanks for sharing with us.

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Thank you, @SunMoon . If I’m lucky I might be able to catch the butterfly in a few weeks.

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Thanks for your reply @john_e_w . It’s a very beautiful butterfly with interesting markings.

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You’re welcome and thank you for your reply @john_e_w . These are some interesting facts about the butterfly and the effects it has on citrus trees. Hope to read more posts from you :)!

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It needs a fine sense of observation and perception @john_e_w

Mostly we are walking around and passing very commonly the wonders of nature.

I be glad to see you in my gallery about man made signs and street art.

Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures.