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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
Papilionidae
Copyright by: Beryn Harty
Description:
Large butterfly with a wingspan up to 6-1/2 inches. The male is yellow, with four dark stripes on the forewing, black wing margins with a row of yellow spots, and a single tail on the hindwing. There are two female forms: one is yellow like the male; the other is black with faint dark stripes. Both have powder-blue scaling on the border of the hindwing and two tails on the hindwing; the black form has a wavy black band dividing the powder-blue areas. The caterpillar is green, with a pale brown head, rows of small blue spots and a yellow-ringed black eyespot with a blue center on each side of the enlarged thorax. Young caterpillars are dark brown with a white midsection; they resemble bird droppings. The pupa is mottled grayish-brown or tan with a dark brown or black stripe on the side.
Range:
Eastern North America, west to Colorado and Texas.
Distribution and Abundance in Florida:
Common in North and Central Florida; local in South Florida. Adults and caterpillars present February-November.
Habitat(s):
Swamps, flatwoods, hammocks, forest edges and urban areas.
Reproduction:
Two broods per year in northern part of range; three or more in Florida. The green, spherical eggs are laid singly on the leaves of host plants, usually on the upper side near the tip. They later turn greenish-yellow.
Natural History:
Adults have a high, gliding flight; they typically feed with their wings spread out. Caterpillars rest on silk mats on curled leaves. Pupae move down the trees in fall and overwinter close to the ground.
Food:
Caterpillars feed on the leaves of host plants. Larval host plants include the native black cherry (Prunus serotina), Carolina ash (Fraxinus caroliniana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), sweet-bay (Magnolia virginia), tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) and white ash (Fraxinus americana). Sweet-bay is the larval host plant in most of Florida. Nectar plants include the native black cherry, joepyeweeds (Eupatorium spp.) and milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) and the nonnative lilac (Syringa vulgaris).
