Papilio glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Östlicher Tigerschwalbenschwanz, Machaon de tigre de l'est)

Papilio glaucus, also called Eastern Tiger Swallowtail or Östlicher Tigerschwalbenschwanz is a butterfly from Nearctic ecozone (North America). The first description was in 1758 by Linnaeus. With a wingspan of 8.0 – 10.0 cm the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a small member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. The butterfly is yellow with typical black tiger stripes.

Photos for easy identification

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Thomas Neubauer

These are nice photos of Papilio glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail). Papilio glaucus is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Nearctic (North America).

Description

The forewings are yellow. The margin is black and include one chain of little yellow spots. There are four black stripes. The veins are black.
The underside is a copy of upside, but the margin is brighter than upside.

The hind wings are yellow. The margin is black and include one chain of big yellow spots, but the first and the last spot are red. There are one long and one short black stripes. In back there is a red and black eye with blue eye shadow. There is a little blue spot.
The underside is a copy of upside, but there are some differences. There is more red at the yellow spots. There is a blue band in the black margin.

The body is black.

Sex differences: None.

Distribution

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) is a butterfly of the Nearctic ecozone (North America) and the Neotropic ecozone (South America). The distribution include whole USA without Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and extend to Nicaragua.

: This world map shows the ecozones in which this butterfly is distributed.

Larval food

Betulaceae:

Alnus incana
Betula alleghaniensis
Betula lenta
Betula papyrifera
Betula pubescens

Rosaceae:

Amelanchier canadensis
Crataegus
Cydonia oblonga
Malus pumila
Prunus americana
Prunus cerasus
Prunus domestica
Prunus ilicifolia
Prunus pensylvanica
Prunus persica
Prunus serotina
Prunus virginiana

Salicaceae:

Salix boothii

Ulmaceae:

Ulmus

Oleaceae:

Syringa vulgaris

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1758 by Linnaeus . There are only three subspecies.

Papilio glaucus alexiares [Hopffer, 1865]
Papilio glaucus australis [Dyar, 1903]
Papilio glaucus turnus [Dyar, 1903]

Protection provisions / Red List

CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

-no entry- (as at 23.06.2005)
EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora

-no entry- (as at 19.08.2005)
IUCN Red List of threatened species:

-no entry- (as at 2004) (see: www.redlist.org/)