Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
Some females are completely black instead of yellow, mimicking the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail to trick predators into leaving them alone.
- Scientific name
- Papilio glaucus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Papilionidae › Papilio
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, woodland edges, river valleys, parks, and suburban gardens.
- Diet
- Adults drink nectar from flowering plants (milkweed, thistles, lilac). Caterpillars feed on leaves of host trees like wild black cherry, tulip tree, and sweetbay.
- Range
- Eastern United States, Ontario, Quebec
- Size
- Wingspan of 7.6 to 14 cm (3 to 5.5 inches).
- Lifespan
- 10 to 14 days as an flying adult; up to several months including the egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis stages.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Widespread pesticide spraying, habitat fragmentation, and loss of native host trees.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This butterfly is completely safe to observe. Maintain a respectful distance of 1 to 2 feet to avoid startling it. If it lands on you, remain still; it may be drinking salts from your sweat. Never grasp its wings, as this rubs off the scales crucial for flight.
Papilio glaucus , the eastern tiger swallowtail , is a species of swallowtail butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, where it is common in many different habitats. It has also been found in Olüdeniz, Turkey. It flies from spring to fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the Apocynaceae,...
Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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