PestControlBasics
Menu

Identify

Treat

Local

About

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus[3]

The eastern tiger swallowtail is a large yellow butterfly with black tiger stripes; its smooth green caterpillars carry a pair of false eyespots and feed on trees such as tulip tree, cherry and ash without causing real harm.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Lepidoptera
Family
Papilionidae
US records
36 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Yellow-and-black eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly at lilac flowers
Yellow-and-black eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly at lilac flowers. (c) Bernie Paquette, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • Full-grown caterpillars are green, about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches, with a swollen front end bearing a pair of yellow, black-ringed eyespots and a band of small bluish dots on each abdominal segment; young caterpillars look like bird droppings.[1][2]
  • Adults are yellow with four black bands on the forewings and black wing margins with yellow spots, spanning about 3 to 5 1/2 inches.[1]
  • When disturbed, the caterpillar pushes out a forked, orange-red scent gland (osmeterium) that gives off a bad smell.[2]

Where it lives

A widespread eastern butterfly; MU Extension reports caterpillars from May to October.[1][2]

US map: public records from 36 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

There are two to three generations a year in Missouri and two flights in the North, with three or possibly four in Florida.[1][2]

Damage and signs

  • Hosts include tulip tree, black cherry, ash, birch, basswood, apple, willow, hoptree and magnolia; in peninsular Florida, sweetbay is the main host.[1][2]

Health risk

None; the caterpillar's scent gland only releases an unpleasant odor.[2]

Control

Prevention

No control is needed.[1][2]

Common questions

What is the green caterpillar with big eyes on my cherry tree?
Possibly an eastern tiger swallowtail caterpillar; the eyes are false eyespots.[1][2]
What is the orange forked thing it pushes out?
An osmeterium, a scent gland that releases a bad smell to deter predators.[2]
Is it a pest?
No; it feeds on tree leaves without real harm.[2]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS, Featured Creatures), “Tiger Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus (EENY-061/IN218).” ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN218 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. University of Missouri Extension (Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, IPM1019), “Caterpillars in Your Yard and Garden, page 44: Tiger swallowtail.” extension.missouri.edu/publications/ipm1019-44 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Papilio glaucus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/1613196 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.