Site Navigation

Make a Donation!

Your contribution
will help us maintain &
improve this resource.

More Information

Home

Species Detail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, 1758

more images

Attributes of Papilio glaucus

Family: Parnassians and Swallowtails ( Papilionidae )

Subfamily: Swallowtails ( 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 forewing of both female forms the row of marginal spots has merged into a continuous band.

Life history : Males patrol for receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on host leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and rest on silken mats in shelters of curled leaves. Chrysalids overwinter .

Flight : 3 flights from February-November in Deep South; 2 flights from May-September in north.

Wing span : 3 5/8 - 6 1/2 inches (9.2 - 16.5 cm).

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).

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.

NatureServe Global Status : G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

Management needs: None noted.

Documented Records for Papilio glaucus

Display alternate map range:

80x5 - 240x3 - 240x4 - 320x1 - 320x2 - 320x3 - 640x1 - 640x2 Set display option above. Click on images to enlarge.
© Justin Valleau, 2007 Papilio glaucus	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, light form, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, light form, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, dark form, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, dark form, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, male, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, male, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, light form, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, light form, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, dark form, top

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, dark form, bottom	© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus

© John Pickering, 2006-2009 Papilio glaucus, female, dark morph, underside	© Copyright Michael Lindemann, 2006 Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail, Dark Form

© Copyright Michael Lindemann, 2006 Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail	© Copyright Michael Lindemann, 2006 Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail

© Copyright Michael Lindemann, 2006 Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail	© Copyright Michael Lindemann, 2006 Papilio glaucus, Tiger Swallowtail