Ubiquitous Tiger Swallowtails This Spring

April 18, 2026

While one of my sisters was visiting last weekend, she commented on the bounty of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (Papilio glaucus) that are here on the mountain this spring. I’ve noticed that too, and I’d use one of my Dad’s favorite words, ubiquitous, to describe the number that are around right now.

Dark form (female) of Tiger Swallowtail

And what a surprise – female Tiger Swallowtails are in two different color forms. The yellow one, like the one that you are used to seeing, and the black form, shown above. The black form is nearly all black, and commonly shows subtle black stripes, seen when the lighting and the viewer’s angle is just right. This color form has the appearance of a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) which discourages its predators with an unpleasant taste. The male is always the usual yellow and black.

Nature is amazing.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

3 thoughts on “Ubiquitous Tiger Swallowtails This Spring”

  1. UBIQUITOUS or not – I never grow tired of this lovely creature floating among the blossoms of spring. Thanks for this promise yet ahead for Missouri.

    1. Hi Sharon! Earlier today my son sent a video from his home about an hour south of me, showing a white azalea bush with about 20 Tiger Swallowtails flying from flower to flower!
      Happy spring!
      Bren

  2. I would travel a long distance if I could just to see four or five of these beauties! Thank you for sharing the photos and information.

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