‘Orangedog’ caterpillar today, giant swallowtail tomorrow

The giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes is one of the largest, and in my opinion, most beautiful butterflies found in our area. I’ve seen several flying through the county this spring. The larval or caterpillar stage of the giant swallowtail is known as the ‘orangedog’ caterpillar. The namesake comes from it feeding on the young foliage of citrus trees. While orangedog caterpillars are considered a pest of commercial citrus, they can be tolerated on trees in the landscape in order to en