Insects · La Saladita, Guerrero

Thoas Swallowtail

Heraclides thoas

Thoas Swallowtail (Heraclides thoas)
Photographed by zihuadean on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Papilio thoas, the king swallowtail or Thoas swallowtail, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in the southernmost United States, Mexico, Central America and South America (as far south as Argentina and Uruguay). The species is easily confused with the giant swallowtail, which it closely resembles in both larval and adult stages. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of citrus plants (Rutaceae). They have also been reported as feeding on a member of... Most often recorded in Dec, Nov, Apr.

TaxonomyInsecta › Lepidoptera › Papilionidae
Local records6 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records12,547 on iNaturalist
Recorded here2018 – 2023
Months recorded near La Saladita
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Insects guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Thoas Swallowtail (Heraclides thoas) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/heraclides-thoas/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.