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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
- ClassInsecta (Insects)
- OrderLepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- FamilyPapilionidae (Swallowtails and Parnassians)
- GenusPapilio (Common Swallowtails)
- SpeciesPapilio glaucus (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
8 Verified sightings at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
1,751 In all 7 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, ranging north to southern Ontario, Canada, and is common in many different habitats. It flies from spring until fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. P. glaucus has a wingspan measuring 7.9 to 14 cm (3.1 to 5.5 in). The male is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making the females dimorphic. The yellow morph has similar coloring to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing; the dark morph is almost completely black.
The green eggs are laid singly on plants of the families Magnoliaceae and Rosaceae. Young caterpillars are brown and white; older ones are green with two black, yellow, and blue eyespots on the thorax. The caterpillar will turn brown prior to pupating. It will reach a length of 5.5 centimetres (2.2 in). The chrysalis varies from a whitish color to dark brown. Hibernation occurs in this stage in locations with cold winter months.
The eastern tiger swallowtail is the state butterfly of Alabama (as well as state mascot), Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and is the state insect of Virginia. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Closest Relatives at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 121st most-seen of the 189 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?
July
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in May, August–September and November–January, the lowest months. That is one of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's wettest months, with about 160 mm of rain against 50 mm in March.
What time of day is best to see an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge the best place to see an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?
6th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 6th at about 10%. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 50%), Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 50%) and Congaree National Park (United States, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail live in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge?
Same genus: Papilio
The closest relatives of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail that you can see in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (genus Papilio, Common Swallowtails) are Black Swallowtail (about 10%), Eastern Giant Swallowtail (about 10%) and Palamedes Swallowtail (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
