Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Quick Facts

• Their wingspan ranges from 7.5 to 14 cm with females being the larger

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• ​​Southern individuals are larger than northern ones

• ​ Males are yellow with four black “tiger stripes” on each fore wing

• It takes anywhere between 4 to 10 days for the egg to hatch laid by an adult

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• Adults are seen from spring to fall. In the south, they are seen from February to November; in the north, they are seen from May to September

• ​The first known drawing of a North America butterfly was that of an Eastern tiger swallowtail. It was drawn by John White in 1587

• ​Males seek females by patrolling habitats containing the larval host plants

• ​Adults use a wide range of food sources, most preferring to nectar on sturdy plants with red or pink flowers

• Males participate in a behavior called puddling, in which they congregate on mud, damp gravel, or puddles. They extract sodium ions and amino acids from these sources which aid in reproductio

• Their range includes North America from central Alaska southeast across Canada and the northern Great Lakes states to northern New England.

• Host plants include:

1. Wild black cherry-Prunus serotina
2. Ash-Fraxinus spp.
3. Cottonwood-Populus spp.
4. Wafer ash/hop tree-Ptelea trifoliata
5. Common Lilac-Syinga vulgaris
6. Sweet bay magnolia-Magnolia virginiana
7. Tulip poplar/tulip tree-Liriodedron tulipifera
8. Willow-Salix spp.

• Life Cycle Stages Include:

1. Egg – It takes 3–5 days for eggs to hatch.
2. Larva – The caterpillar has five instars.
3. Pupa – The chrysalis stage lasts 9–11 days, or over winter hibernation.
4. Adult – Northern areas have 1-2 generations; southern areas may have three.