One of our most familiar butterflies, with a bold yellow and black tiger-striped pattern.

Female, Carroll Co., VA 7/24/05.

Female, Carroll Co., VA 7/24/05.

Females can be either yellow or black. This is a black form female.

C&O Canal, Montgomery Co., MD 9/10/05.

Though black form Tigers are mostly dark, you can still see some tiger-striping on the undersides of the wings.

Orange Co., NC 7/15/06.

This female is a rare intermediate between the yellow and black forms.

C&O Canal, Montgomery Co., MD 9/10/05.

Males are always yellow.

Male, Harnett Co., NC 8/20/05.

Eastern Tiger is easily identified most of the time in most of the state, but in the mountains the similar Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail flies during the spring.

Haywood Co., NC 7/13/05.

Early instar caterpillars look like a bird dropping. This caterpillar was on a leaf of one of its food plants, Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana)

Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07.

Caterpillars weave a silken pad, which you can see in this photo.

Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07.

The caterpillars generally position themselves in the center of the leaves and face upwards.

Carteret Co., NC 8/26/07.

Puddle party at the Flat River impoundment, Durham Co., NC 4/13/2003.

Flat River impoundment, Durham Co., NC 4/13/03.

The black form females are confusingly similar to Black Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail, and Spicebush Swallowtail. They can be difficult to tell apart without a close look. Males are always yellow.

Harnett Co., NC 8/18/05.