A rare butterfly for Wisconsin, the Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), has been seen at Lapham Peak recently. The Giant Swallowtail is the largest species of butterfly in North America!
Apparently, we're at the northern edge of its normal territory. Our wildflowers and butterfly garden attract a lot of interesting and sometimes unique species each year. One map, shows this for this butterfly's normal territory / range. Here's a photo taken by at our Butterfly Garden, and a video taken near our maintenance area for our Park.
Our park is also home to the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee, which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Giant Swallowtail Range
