The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is native to the eastern United States and is easily recognized by the bold black stripes on its bright yellow wings, likely the inspiration for its “tiger” name. Males are consistently yellow with black striping, while females occur in two distinct color forms: one similar to the male, and another darker form with black wings and iridescent blue on the hindwings.

 

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:

• American Basswood (Tilia americana)

• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)

• Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

• Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)

• Hickory (Carya spp.)

• Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)

• Plum (Prunus domestica)

• Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)

• Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

• Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)

• White Ash (Fraxinus americana)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

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

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

• Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Vervain (Verbena spp.)

• Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)