Square-spot Rustic vs Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Square-spot Rustic Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Scientific Name Xestia xanthographa Papilio glaucus
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Noctuidae Papilionidae
Size 32-38 mm wingspan 79-140 mm wingspan
Habitat Gardens Rivers & Streams
Diet Root Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Square-spot Rustic

An extremely common autumn-flying moth with a diagnostic square stigma on the forewing. One of the most abundant moths in British gardens. Larvae feed on grasses.

💡

Did You Know?

Often the single most abundant moth species in garden moth traps during September.

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.

💡

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.