Papilio rumiko or Giant swallowtail feeding on a Baldwin species :)

At 3 1/2– 5 1/2 inches it is considered one of the largest butterflies in North America. The newest idea is this species used to called cresphontes but is now called rumiko.

The theory is that the tails on the trailing edge of the large wings along with the colorful eye dots allow these butterflies to fool predators into thinking that the rear of the insect looks like the head with the tail resembling antennas and the brightly colored spots resemble eyes. It’s also noted that the lines or bands lead the predators’ eyes towards its rear. The predator will attack the tail allowing the butterfly to escape relatively left intact.
The first larval stage looks like a bird dropping to avoid predation. During droughts in Arizona, pupae can stay in this stage for a year or more waiting for a better climate.

Of the 24 species of swallowtail that occur in the United States, 13 have been found in Arizona.