Black Swallowtail Posing

by Steve Templeton

Title

Black Swallowtail Posing

Artist

Steve Templeton

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

I am no expert on butterflies by any stretch of the imagination, but do believe this to be a Black Swallowtail. There are some 550+ species of the Swallowtail, so I could very well be misinformed. Capturing the image I want of any butterfly is one the hardest photography challenges I have ever experienced. They don't sit still for long, they don't open their wings the way I want them to, or if they do, they are facing the wrong way, or the light isn't hitting them properly, or the wind is wildly blowing the branches which makes for blurry images.... Well, you get my drift. Those challenges though, are exactly why finally getting a good shot of one is so very rewarding.

This magnificent family (Papilionidae) of large butterflies is loved by many, and includes more than 600 species worldwide.

Fewer than 30 specifies live in North America.

Most (not all) of these large, brightly colored butterflies feature tails on their hind wings. These tail-like appendages resemble the tails of swallow family of birds, hence their name.

Swallowtails feed on flowers, and can often be found in mud or damp sand where they sip dissolved minerals and salts. They beat their wings rapidly when feeding on nectar, as a balancing technique.

Uploaded

June 1st, 2022

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