Butterfly Beauty

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) is one of the most common and beautiful eastern butterflies. Individuals can be found anywhere east of...
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The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) is one of the most common and beautiful eastern butterflies. Individuals can be found anywhere east of the Mississippi river and a bit farther west into the Great Plains states. There are also populations in several Mexican states.

Swallowtails are very large insects. When basking in the sun, their outspread wings can be 8 to 14 cm (3 to 5.5 inches) from tip to tip. Their colors are vibrant. Broad yellow wings are edged by black and with four stripes, like tapering chevrons from the forewing margins downward into the yellow wings. The bottom edges of the hind wings are especially colorful with bluish scales and one or more red spots. Male Tiger Swallowtails generally have darker blacks and none of the bluish and red scales on their hind wings. Interestingly, there is a black morph, where black replaces the broad yellow expanses. The black morphs also have the bluish and red wing scales on their hind wings.

Although they are solitary creatures, often flying high in the treetops, you can sometimes spot a special sight when a group of swallowtail males is “puddling.” Male butterflies come together at damp places in the soil and drink water. The water contains sodium ions and various amino acids, which appear to allow them to live longer. Adults of both sexes take nectar from a wide variety of native and exotic garden plants.

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