Sunday, June 3, 2012

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

This one is a beauty! It is also a very large butterfly. Wingspan of about 5”.

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It flutters and glides so gently. There is no rapid fluttering of the wings. At rest or feeding the wings are completely open. This is the underside. The blue is visible from this side…not the top.

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Most of the other swallowtails have such rapidly beating wings it is hard to catch their beauty.

I love the soft fuzzy body.

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It walked all over this flower with it’s wings spread. Only occasionally closing them.

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With the sun on the opposite side of the plant, you can see the shadow thru the wings. It’s amazing how fragile they are….yet able to carry them for great distances.

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Checking me out…but never stopped eating.

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I believe this one is a male. The female has the blue on the back of the lower wings instead or as well as, the underside.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely butterfly and gorgeous photos.

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  2. Beautiful butterfly. I have never seen but one giant one gliding across the yard a couple of years ago.

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  3. I see the swallowtail around the North Rim but it's too fast for me to a photo. These are excellent. Nice that he posed so long for you.

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  4. I have never seen a swallowtail what a beautiful butterfly

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