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| One of the best-known butterflies because of its size (wing span of 5.3 to 9.0 cm), yellow colouring and distinctive pattern, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail had wide, black ‘tiger’ stripes on its upperside. The underside is also yellow with over-scaling of orange and black. Females lay eggs singly on surface of Poplar, Birch and Cherry tree leaves. The immature larva resemble bird droppings with their brown and white colouring. Caterpillars are dark green, with two spots that look like eyes on the front section of the body giving it a snake-like appearance. They feed at night on the host plant leaves and rest on silken mats in shelters of curled leaves. Chrysalids hibernate. In the Algonquin Highlands you can see them in flight from May to mid-July, near woodlands, forest edges and nearby open areas. Adult feed on nectar from flowers and are often seen drinking in mud puddles. |
Papilio canadensis
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