One of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is large and slow moving. The male is yellow with four black “tiger stripes” on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic (two or more different forms). The outer edge of the forewing is black with a row of yellow spots and the veins are marked with black. The hindwing of both female forms has a row of striking blue chevrons and an iridescent blue wash over parts of the interior hindwing. The inner margin of the hindwing has small red and blue spots.
Forest, Grassland, Wetland, Urban
Found in the eastern United States from southern Vermont to Florida west to eastern Texas and the Great Plains. It is common throughout its range, although is rarer in southern Florida and absent from the Florida Keys.
Abundant
Diurnal
Larval host plants include wild cherry (Prunus), sweetbay (Magnolia), basswood (Tilia), tulip tree (Liriodendron), birch (Betula), ash (Fraxinus), cottonwood (Populus), mountain ash (Sorbus), and willow (Salix). Adults feed on 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.
Eastern tiger swallowtails are diurnal, and are usually solitary. Adults are known to fly high above the ground, usually seen above the tree canopy. Males seek females by patrolling habitats containing the larval host plants. Males participate in a behavior called puddling, in which they congregate on mud, damp gravel or puddles. They extract sodium ions and amino acids from these sources which aid in reproduction.
Help with pollination and are a food source for birds and other animals
Least Concern
