Jamaican Giant Swallowtail (wings open) (Pterourus homerus)

Jamaican Giant Swallowtail (Pterourus homerus: family Papilionidae, previously known as Papilio homerus) This butterfly is a Jamaican endemic and listed on Appendix I of CITES as endangered. In 1988 it was listed in the Worlds top twelve endangered species of all categories by the IUCN. It is the largest swallowtail butterfly in the New World. Adults have a 6 inch (15-16 cm) average wing span. Watching this species glide through the mid to upper strata of the wet limestone forest in the Cockpit Country was a special experience. Photographed in the Cockpit Country, Jamaica. Identification was made by Vaughan Turland a Jamaican butterfly expert.