Papilio rutulus
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Papilio rutulus, the western tiger swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the Papilionidae family. The species was first described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1852. Like the other tiger swallowtails, the western tiger swallowtail was formerly classified in genus Pterourus, but modern classifications all agree in placing them within Papilio.
The western tiger swallowtail butterfly is an abundant species native to a large portion of North America's northernmost and southernmost west coast. These butterflies are frequently observed from northwestern regions of Canada down to the southern tip of Baja California and extends eastward through states like the Dakotas, Colorado, and New Mexico. Although they primarily inhabit the west coast, it is not unusual for this species to be observed as far east as central Nebraska, even
Oklahoma. These occurrences are typically rare strays outside of its usual habitat. These butterflies are frequently seen in urban parks and gardens, as well as in rural woodlands and riparian areas. These butterflies can be found throughout Western North America, from South California to Southern British Columbia and Alberta... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Olympic National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Pacific Rim National Park Reserve | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Tiger Swallowtail sighting in San Diego on a given day, based on 323 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 35th most-seen of the 693 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February to September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Tiger Swallowtail in San Diego on a given day, against under 5% in October to January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Tiger Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
8th of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Western Tiger Swallowtail sightings, San Diego ranks 8th at about 10%. The best odds are in Sacramento (United States, about 20%), Vancouver (Canada, about 20%) and Portland (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Papilio
The closest relatives of the Western Tiger Swallowtail that you can see in San Diego (genus Papilio, Common Swallowtails) are Western Giant Swallowtail (about 10%) and Anise Swallowtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Tiger Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in San Diego (323 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
