"30-3-62. The Tiger Swallowtail is designated as the official Georgia state butterfly."
Approved April 4, 1988.
Because of a very special lady and her love for Tiger Swallowtail butterflies, Georgia has a beautiful living legacy that honors her bequest. And this is why the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has become so special to the folks who live in the state of Georgia. Callaway Gardens, a striking preserve and resort of several thousand acres located 75 miles southwest of Atlanta, houses the famous Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, thanks to Mrs. Deen Day Smith. This outstanding butterfly center is noted for being the largest glass-enclosed conservatory in North America. It displays over 1,000 live butterflies in free flight and also many hummingbirds -- all in a beautiful tropical setting.
Three other southern states have also designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as their official state butterfly since 1988: Alabama (1989); Virginia (1991); and South Carolina (1994). In addition, the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) claims the official butterfly title in Mississippi, the Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) is Oklahoma's winner, while the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius) reigns as Oregon's state butterfly. The U.S. Postal Service also commemorated Georgia's official state butterfly when they issued the 22 cent Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Stamp.
It seems apparent that only the Monarch butterfly is favored over the Swallowtails, with the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail {Papilio glaucus L.} being the favorite species in this group.
Unlike adventurous Monarchs that are famous for migrating to overwintering grounds in Mexico in the winter, many beautiful butterflies, including the exquisite Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, overwinter in the pupa stage in their familiar year-round habitats. When early spring arrives, their mysterious metamorphosis process begins, and it isn't long until a whole new generation of Eastern Tiger Swallowtails takes flight.
These adult Eastern Tiger Swallowtails {Papilio glaucus L.} immediately begin to seek nectar needed for survival. Groups of male swallowtails instinctively gather at puddles where they will imbibe important minerals found in the wet soil that will help them produce sperm and attract females. Male swallowtails also soon begin their patrol for females near the tops of trees such as wild cherry, ash, birch, willow, tulip, and poplar. From this vantage point, they can easily swoop down to intercept females for mating.
Female tiger swallowtails {Papilio glaucus L.}, often black or brown in color, purposefully search out those specific trees, as they will deposit their yellowish-green fertile eggs on their leaves. Their innate intuition tells them that after their caterpillars hatch they will dine happily on the foliage of these trees until they are full grown, then enter their chrysalis stage. Within weeks, yet another generation of strikingly beautiful yellow and black Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies will also greet spring.
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