The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is mostly indigenous to the eastern parts of the United States. The black stripes on its yellow body have perhaps earned it the name “tiger”. The males are bright yellow with black stripes, while the females can exhibit two different color forms: yellow and black or black and blue.

 

Male

“Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly” by David Marvin, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

Female

“Eastern Tiger Swallowtail” by Ken Slade, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Female

“Eastern Tiger Swallowtail” by Ken Slade, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Facts

Butterfly Family: Swallowtail Butterflies (Papilionidae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Papilioninae

Butterfly Wingspan: 2 1/2 – 4 1/2 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Deciduous broadleaf woods, forest edges, river valleys, parks, and suburbs

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

• Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

• Ash Trees (Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

• Hickory (Carya spp.)

• Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

• Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)

• Plum Tree (Prunus domestica)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Eastern Tiger Swallowtails feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

• Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

• Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

• Verbena (Vervain spp.)

• Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)