Tiger Swallowtail
(Papilio glaucus)

The yellow form of the Tiger Swallowtail is very common at the BFEC during the summer months taking nectar from a wide variety of flowers. It is also commonly seen soaring through the forests along the Gap Trail. Female tiger swallowtails appear in one of two color morphs. In our area the yellow one is the most common. The black morph resembles the Pipeline Swallowtail, but can be distinguished by the dark stripe that can be seen on the under surface of the wings when they are folded. The torn wings of the swallowtail on the left indicate that it has been attacked several times by birds. It has been suggested that the black form is less likely to be eaten by predators because of it's resemblance to the distasteful Pipeline Swallowtail. You can test this hypothesis by comparing the number of black and yellow morphs that show signs of wing damage.