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What kind of tiger flies across southern Ontario?
The eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly gets its name from the four black stripes on its yellow forewings. Its beauty makes it a favourite visitor to summer flower gardens.
Every butterfly species depends on certain plants. Some are nectar plants, like beebalm and Joe-Pye-weed. They make nutrient-rich food for adult butterflies. Others provide shelter and feed the butterfly’s larvae (caterpillars).
For many insects, specific plants act as nurseries where the eggs hatch into larvae, and their leaves become both home and food. If you move a caterpillar to the wrong kind of plant, it won’t survive.
In some cases, a butterfly only has one kind of plant where it lays its eggs. The most famous example of this is the monarch butterfly, which depends on milkweed alone as both a nursery and food for caterpillars.
The eastern tiger swallowtail has more options. When it lays its tiny green eggs, it can choose from several families of tree and shrub species. The region where it lives, the Carolinian zone, is known for warm weather and diverse plants and animals. However, these things also make the area appealing to humans. Cities and farms have been growing quickly in the region. That means fewer of the plants this butterfly needs.
Luckily, we don’t have to get rid of cities to restore butterfly habitat. It can be done in parks, on balconies and in backyards! Everyday people can grow native plants, including plants for eastern tiger swallowtail larvae, like the beautiful tulip tree. Each tree or shrub becomes part of a big urban forest. Insects, wildlife and humans all benefit from that.
Did you notice that this insect is the only invertebrate (species without a backbone) featured here? Congratulations — you’re really paying attention! While making the Living Planet Report Canada, scientists calculated something called the Canadian Living Planet Index. This index is sort of like a report card on how wildlife and ecosystems are doing. It includes data for vertebrates like mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. But the scientists also wanted to give examples of how other animals are doing, so the report highlights information on a few insects like the eastern tiger swallowtail.
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