Bug FAQRuby-spotted Swallowtail
Heraclides anchisiades · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Papilionidae
Also called: Idaes Swallowtail, Red-spotted Swallowtail
Source: Wikipedia
The Ruby-spotted Swallowtail is a medium-large butterfly with a wingspan of about 7 to 10 cm. Adults are often seen drinking at moist river banks and the larvae gather in large groups on citrus stems. Its range extends from southern Texas through Central and South America, occasionally straying farther north.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
On the underside of the hindwing, the red spots in the two rows are often close together or partially touching.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 70 to 100 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It prefers moist river banks rather than forested areas. Caterpillars commonly rest in hundreds on citrus stems.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on Rutaceae plants such as citrus, Casimiroa, and Zanthoxylum species. Adults sip nectar from flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
It is a widely distributed species with variable forms.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Found from southern Texas southward to Argentina. Rare stray individuals have been recorded as far north as Kansas, southeastern Arizona, and western Texas.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
There are many variable forms that can look similar across its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 1 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Does the Ruby-spotted Swallowtail damage gardens or crops?
Yes, its larvae feed on citrus and related Rutaceae plants, and large groups can strip leaves and damage stems.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Papilionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_anchisiades
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.