HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MALE AND FEMALE TIGER SWALLOWTAIL

Tigers on the prowl in our garden!

It’s very easy to see the difference between a male and female Tiger Swallowtail.

The female Tiger Swallowtail’s tail end of her lower wings are more vividly colored, with strongly pronounced cells of orange and a greater degree of iridescent blue.

Female Tiger Swallowtail drinking nectar from Phlox

Male Tiger Swallowtail. Note the very dark border along the tail end of the male TS lower wings, with very little blue iridescent scales

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail utilizes a large variety of host plants, mostly trees, such as wild black cherry, tulip tree, sweet bay (magnolia), cottonwood, ash, birch, and willow.

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