Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
Summary 7
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is a species of swallowtail butterfly native to North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, where it is common in many different habitats. 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, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae families. P. glaucus has a wingspan...
Distribution 8
The eastern tiger swallowtail ranges from Alaska and the Hudsonian zone of Canada to the southern United States, east of the Rocky Mountains.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Morphology 9
The forewing spans 4 to 7.6 cm. The males are yellow, with black tiger stripes. A large black border surrounds the edges of the wings. In Georgia, the coloring has more of an orange hint. The subspecies australis has been applied to these southeastern tiger swallowtails. Females are dimorphic. Some female swallowtails have the same color pattern as the males, while some are completely black. A variety of patterns between completely black, and yellow with black stripes can be seen in female swallowtails. These two extreme female colorings are thought to coexist because they both have equally beneficial effects. While the tiger striping causes a distracts predators, the dark coloring imitates the unpalatable blue swallowtail.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Habitat 10
This species occurs in nearly every area where deciduous woods are present, including towns and cities. It is most numerous along streams and river, and in wooded swamps.
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; mountains
Number of occurrences 11
Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.
Estimated Number of Occurrences: > 300
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ken Slade, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/10789832@N00/3283987246
- (c) Picasa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EBwnji7fFtk/TlFfeYOueMI/AAAAAAAACdI/mbtmT_wPpIg/s1024/P1070916.jpg
- (c) Rob Curtis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Rob Curtis
- (c) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/specimen_images/ent-lepidoptera/images/2012_09_14/IMG_128496.JPG
- (c) Picasa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://lh3.ggpht.com/-krIyvxDyvG4/UEPo6jFBIUI/AAAAAAAAPN8/KTsTVyVu88w/P1150053.JPG
- (c) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://mczbase.mcz.harvard.edu/specimen_images/ent-lepidoptera/images/2011_07_07/IMG_089857.JPG
- Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_glaucus
- Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31412806
- Adapted by Allie Hay from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31412808
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31412807
- (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28748634
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- Animal Diversity Web
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- BugGuide
- Butterflies and Moths of North America
- CUIC Insect Images
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- Maryland Moths
- Mass Moths
- Moth Photographers Group
- Moths of North Carolina
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- Pacific Northwest Moths
