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Yellow or The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly

The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucas) is a strong flier with distinctive yellow and black striped markings on its wings and body (some females are brown or black, mimicking the poisonous pipevine swallowtail). This relatively common butterfly has a wingspan of 3.5-6.5 inches (9-16.5 cm). Southern subspecies are larger than the northern ones. These butterflies are called swallowtails because they have long "tails" on their hindwings which look a bit like the long, pointed tails of swallows (a type of bird) A butterfly starts its life as an egg. The female Tiger Swallowtail butterfly lays its spherical, yellow-green eggs on the leaf high in a tulip tree, sweet bay, wild black cherry, ash, lilac, aspen=, birch, or choke cherry. When the egg hatches, its meals (the leaves of one of these plant) are easily available.

A beautiful, flying adult emerges. There is no growth during this stage, but the butterfly will sip nectar. This adult will continue the cycle by reproducing. Females produce two broods in the north, three in the south. Wings have distinctive yellow and black stripes. Some females (especially in the south) are much darker, mimicking the poisonous Pipevine butterfly.The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is not a poisonous butterfly, but many females (especially southern subspecies) are much darker, mimicking the poisonous Pipevine butterfly (Battus philenor). Animals that eat it the poisonous Pipevine butterfly get very sick and vomit (but generally do not die). These animals remember that this brightly-colored butterfly made them very sick and will avoid all butterflies with similar markings (including the Tiger Swallowtail) in the future. The Tiger Swallowtail butterfly frequents woodlands (including temperate deciduous forests) and grasslands, but is also found in a variety of environments, including cities. It is found throughout the Eastern USA and Canada.