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For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Papilio glaucus - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Hodges#4176

Black Beauty - Papilio glaucus - female weird bug - Papilio glaucus Eastern Tiger Swallowtail? - Papilio glaucus - female Campton Hills, IL 60124 Caterpillar ID Request  - Papilio glaucus Caterpillar - Papilio glaucus Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Papilio glaucus - male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Papilio glaucus Eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar - Papilio glaucus
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Papilionidae (Swallowtails, Parnassians)
Subfamily Papilioninae
Tribe Papilionini (Fluted Swallowtails)
Genus Papilio
Species glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - Hodges#4176)
Hodges Number
4176
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, 1758. Synonyms and taxonomic notes:
Pterourus glaucus--sometimes this and related species are split out from Papilio.
Large, spring-flying populations in the Appalachians have recently been recognized as a separate species, Papilio appalachiensis (Pterourus appalachiensis).
Size
Adult wingspan about 120 mm, females larger than males. (Butterflies and Moths of North America gives wingspan range of 92-165 mm.)
Larvae to 55 mm (1)
Identification
Very large, bright yellow with black stripes. Males (A) are yellow and black above. Light-morph females show blue on hindwing above (B). A dark-morph (C) occurs in females through much of range, especially in southern states. The stripes are still faintly visible from some angles (D). The black females may be distinguished from other swallowtails from below by the absence of the band of orange spots on the hind wing seen on Black and Spicebush Swallowtails, and lack of iridescent blue of Pipevine Swallowtails.
  A B
  C D

Early instar caterpillars resemble bird droppings. They sit on top of the leaf, unlike the similar Spicebush Swallowtail's larvae. Later instar caterpillars are green with two large eyespots on the thorax. Nothing in the East is similar, but Western Tiger and Pale Tiger Swallowtails are similar larvae found on the west coast. When the caterpillar is full grown and getting ready to pupate it turns brown.
  
Caterpillar projecting its osmeteria
Range
mostly eastern US to Great Plains - Map - MPG
Habitat
Found around woodland edges, swamps.
Food
Caterpillars feed on Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Swamp Bay (Persea palustris) and Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera). Adults take nectar from a variety of flowers.
Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) is also a host for Papilio glaucus, as I now have three on it. -Contributed by Doug on 12 September, 2014
Life Cycle
Early instar, late instar, pupa
See Also
Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio appalachiensis
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio canadensis
Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus
Pale Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio eurymedon
Internet References
Works Cited
1.Caterpillars of Eastern North America
David L. Wagner. 2005. Princeton University Press.