Giant Swallowtail

I popped outside to take a picture of the bougainvillea, but this wonderful butterfly greeted me from the lantana bushes; the bougainvillea will be there tomorrow, but this guy? Probably not. The Giant Swallowtail lives up to it's name, being one of the largest butterflies in Florida, with a wingspan of 4.5 - 5.5 inches. They are not as common as some of the others, but they love brightly coloured flowers and orange groves. Not easy to capture as they flutter their wings continuously while nectaring and are a little standoffish; get too close and they will waft away to a less crowded area.