Eastern Tiger Swallowtail vs Hunt's Bumble Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Hunt's Bumble Bee
Scientific Name Papilio glaucus Bombus huntii
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Papilionidae Apidae
Size 79-140 mm wingspan 12-18 mm
Habitat Rivers & Streams Meadows
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions North America Western North America from British Columbia to Mexico
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

A large yellow butterfly with bold black tiger stripes and blue and orange markings on the hindwing margins. Females can occur in a dark morph mimicking the toxic pipevine swallowtail.

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Did You Know?

The caterpillar has large false eyespots and can evert an orange forked gland called an osmeterium that emits a foul smell to deter predators.

Hunt's Bumble Bee

A medium-sized bumble bee with orange, black, and yellow banding commonly found in the western United States. It is an important pollinator of both wildflowers and crops.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few bumble bee species that has maintained stable populations while many others have declined.