Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
Insecta
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Large
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Solitary
- Biome
- Temperate forest
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Camouflage
- Status
- Common
About
One of the most recognizable butterflies in eastern North America, with bold yellow wings crossed by black tiger stripes and blue hindwing patches. Females can mimic the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail with a dark color morph, a rare example of sex-limited mimicry.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA tiny ribbed egg laid on the underside of a host-plant leaf, hatching within days.
- 2.caterpillarA voracious caterpillar feeds and molts through several instars, growing rapidly.
- 3.chrysalisA chrysalis hangs sealed and still while the body remodels into a winged adult.
- 4.butterflyA winged adult with full scales and coloration, ready to fly and mate.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Papilionidae
- Genus
- Papilio
- Species
- Papilio glaucus