Daily Archives: July 9, 2017

Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Buddleia

Tiger Swallowtail (<em>Papilio glaucus</em>) on Buddleia

Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Buddleia

Once the buddleia comes into bloom, which has happened in the last week or so, it’s a rare day when there isn’t at least one tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) fluttering around the yard. They aren’t anywhere as near as common and the many skippers (family Hesperiidae) that we have by the dozens or even as the cabbage whites (Pieris rapae), but pretty common. And of course they are much more striking. I particularly like then when the sun is on them or even shining through them and they are against a clear, blue afternoon sky, as this one is. The color on the upper side of the hindwings identifies this as a female, just in the act of taking off from the flower.

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