Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail dropped by to imbibe a bit of nectar back in July, allowing me to get a couple pictures. This is perhaps the largest of the commonly spotted butterflies here in New Jersey; large individuals can even be giant sized (or at least about the size of the Giant Swallowtail).

They do have some look alikes, though I suspect that in my area if you see any butterfly that looks like this, you've got an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

My guess is that this fella was drinking nectar from a Wild Bergamot, a native wildflower that's very popular within the pollinator community. Though you can find these butterflies in the middle of a meadow, females lay eggs on trees so edge areas are probably a little better area to find them.

July 18, 2021 at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary

July 18, 2021 at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary
Photo 148187961, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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