On the trail of Ohio's Butterflies

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Ohio is home to more than two dozen beautiful butterflies.  One of the easiest to spot is the swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

There are more than 500 types of swallowtail butterflies world wide.  Ohioans can observe three different types. Perhaps the most common is the Tiger Swallowtail.You can easily attract them by growing some common annual flowers such as zinnias and lantana and  perennials such as bee balm and purple coneflowers. Be sure to also provide some water such as a bird bath with a nice landing pad like a flat rock or even a small ceramic dish positioned upside down.  The Spicebush Swallowtail prefers to lay its eggs on spicebush and paw paws but will also choose other common ohio trees growing in wooded areas, along streams and the edge of open fields. Zebra swallowtails prefer swampy wooded areas.

Like the Monarch the adult swallowtails like to feed on wild flowers, particularly the common milkweed.  While monarchs also lay their eggs on the milkweed providing their caterpillars with their only source of food, the swallowtails are much less picky.  The females will lay eggs on the leaves of a variety of trees.  Their caterpillars will also feed on dill, parsely, fennel and other members of the carrot family. Most of this information was found at: https://www.bgohio.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Butterfly-Tree-Hosts-12-27-12.pdf

Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly