Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, 1758
Family: Papilionidae
Subfamily: Papilioninae
Identification: Male is yellow with dark tiger stripes. Female has 2 forms: one yellow like the male and the other black with shadows of dark stripes. Hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The upperside hindwing has a prominent orange marginal spot that is generally larger than the row of pale marginal spots. On the underside of forewing of spring individuals the row of marginal spots may be merged into a continuous band, thus appearing similar to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 4 1/2 inches (6.2 - 11.4 cm).
Life History: Two broods in the north, three in the south. Males patrol for receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on host leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest on silken mats on the upper surface of leaves. Chrysalids overwinter.
Flight: 3 flights from February-November in Deep South; 2 flights from May-September in north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Leaves of various plants including wild cherry (Prunus), sweetbay (Magnolia), basswood (Tilia), tulip tree (Liriodendron), birch (Betula), ash (Fraxinus), cottonwood (Populus), mountain ash (Sorbus), and willow (Salix).
Adult Food: Nectar of flowers from a variety of plants including wild cherry and lilac (Syringa vulgaris). Milkweed (Asclepias) and Joe-Pye Weed [Eupatorium] are favorites in summer.
Habitat: Deciduous broadleaf woods, forest edges, river valleys, parks, and suburbs.
Range: Eastern North America from Ontario south to Gulf coast, west to Colorado plains and central Texas.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None noted.
Comments: NULL
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 13603 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: Jenphillippi
Region: Yancey County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Nov 15, 2025
Observation date: Jul 19, 2025
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 22, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 23, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 31, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 03, 2025
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Roane County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 07, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Jeffrey
Region: Pottawatomie County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 15, 2025
Submitted by: Stujo4
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 17, 2025
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 25, 2025
Submitted by: tnjbodker
Region: Anderson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 20, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jun 05, 2025
Submitted by: Petrolfox
Region: Madison County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Aug 08, 2022
Submitted by: tootall
Region: Johnson County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: tootall
Region: Johnson County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Jul 28, 2025
Submitted by: creekwalking
Region: Polk County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: Craigdu
Region: Iredell County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 14, 2025
Observation date: Sep 06, 2025
Submitted by: Falcon5177
Region: Douglas County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Sep 12, 2025
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 25, 2025
Observation date: Aug 08, 2025
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 25, 2025
Observation date: Sep 13, 2025
Submitted by: Ivyrk87
Region: Collin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 14, 2025
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