What is This? I spotted this striped butterfly perched on a pine
tree in my yard. It looks like a tiger swallowtail, but I didn't
think these butterflies were in this part of the country. Can
you tell me what kind it is? —Jeanne Hardy, Paulden, Arizona
Tom: The butterfly is a female two-tailed swallowtail. This
butterfly, which occurs throughout the western United States, is
very similar to the common tiger swallowtail, but can be easily
distinguished by the double tails on its hind wings. You can
tell this one is a female because it has a large amount of blue
on the hind wing. This is also a good way to identify a female
tiger swallowtail.