Androgeus Swallowtail Heraclides androgeus

This Neotropical beauty is a large, dark swallowtail butterfly found from Mexico all the way down to Argentina, an enormous range for a single species. What makes it truly unusual is a small, established population in southern Florida—a rare northward outlier in its otherwise tropical and subtropical distribution.

Known by multiple names including the Androgeus swallowtail and queen page, it sports distinctive patterns and impressive size. The Florida population suggests this species is actively expanding its range northward, possibly in response to climate change or the increasing availability of its larval host plants in subtropical regions.