Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Description: Wingspan 4-5 7/8” (100-150 mm).

All males and many females have yellow wings with black tigerlike stripes in pale phase. Wings in dark-phase females, common in southern parts of range, are brownish black with yellow and blue spots near outer margins.

Caterpillar, to 2 ½” (65 mm), is green and has yellow eyespots with black dot, orange and black bands, and blue dots.

Habitat: Mixed and deciduous forests; open areas, even in urban areas.

Range: East of the Rocky Mountains.

Food: Caterpillar eats foliage of wild cherry, birch, poplar, ash, and tulip trees.

Flight: Spring–September

Source: Milne, Lorus and Margery, University of New Hampshire. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1980, p. 721.