Subject: Swallowtail
Location: Middle Tennessee
September 2, 2013 12:04 pm
This swallowtail was lazily flying around in the back yard in Middle Tennessee(Murfreesboro) today so I had time to run for the camera, I just wanted to share this awesome butterfly with you.
Is it a male or female?
Signature: Rae Nichols
Dear Rae,
Though Tennessee is a state where the range of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail overlap, we believe you have a photo of an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus. Your individual is a female as evidenced by the blue pattern on the lower wings. According to BugGuide: “Light phase females show blue on hindwing above.” This photo of a female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail from BugGuide illustrates the blue markings.