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The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is one of the best-known butterflies in this country because of its size (wingspan: 53 to 90 mm) and distinctive pattern. The yellow ground color with wide, black tiger stripes catches the attention of even the most casual observer. It has a wide, black band along the inner margin of the hindwing. The underside is yellow, often with extensive over-scaling of orange, and black. This butterfly is found in all provinces and territories. Its range extends north of the Arctic Circle in Yukon, and to Churchill in Manitoba, Little Shagamu River in Ontario, and to Schefferville in Quebec. It has not been reported from Labrador. The mature larvae are dark green, with two spots that look like eyes on the swollen section of the body behind the head; this creates a snake-like profile. Immature larvae are brown and white, resembling bird droppings. The larvae use a wide variety of trees as foodplants, including willow (Salix spp.), cherry (Prunus spp.), poplar (Populus spp.), and ash (Fraxinus spp.). The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is mainly a species of open woodlands and adjacent areas, but it also flies north of treeline in Canada where stunted trees and dwarf willows can be found. The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is an avid mud-puddler and sometimes hundreds will gather at the same small puddle, jostling for position.

 (This text information was provided by Government of Canada Biodiversity Information)