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 49 - 72 of 13317 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: Bytehdz0
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 20, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: danaher94
Region: Copiah County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 14, 2023
Observation date: Jul 30, 2023
Submitted by: heinert
Region: Burleigh County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
Observation date: Sep 08, 2023
Submitted by: xBISsped6
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2023
Submitted by: Kuccamunga
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 07, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: brobi004
Region: Madison County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 28, 2023
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: zingaro
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: HeatherRoller
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Laramie County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Steven Wilson
Region: Fayette County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: nkmeyers
Region: St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: getherington
Region: Putnam County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Dawn Cavalieri
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
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