Today I am here to say, let’s give up the dog days and create a celebration of the tiger days of summer. I am not talking LSU, Auburn or Clemson starting football workouts. I am, however, touting states like Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia coming together for the one thing they have in common: They have all chosen the eastern tiger swallowtail as their state butterfly.
A wingspan that can exceed 5 inches makes the eastern tiger swallowtail one of the most loved butterflies in the United States. It has a huge range, from Texas north to Canada and all states eastward. When the eastern tigers show up in the landscape, the cameras start clicking. It is indeed a cause for celebration.
They have two broods in the North and three in the South, with some of the heaviest populations occurring simultaneously with the hottest days of the summer, yes, the dog days, which officially this year were July 3 through Aug. 11. You see, the real dog days are tied to an astrological event.
