Tuesday, October 2, 2018,
This is a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. I found this guy at Avalon Park and Preserve back at the end of last July. I had spent most of the morning photographing Monarchs when I spotted this beauty. This is a fairy large butterfly, bigger than Monarchs, and hard to miss.The female, which comes in two color morphs, is supposed to be even larger than the male.
I have two field guides for butterflies. One is the Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America and the other is the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies. Both guides say that the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is one of the most common butterflies in its range and yet, I rarely see them at all. It’s not like they’re hard to see. I saw an abundance of Monarchs this year but this was the only Tiger Swallowtail I saw all season. I feel lucky to have gotten these shots. Maybe I need to go back to wearing glasses. JK.
JK
They like sassafras trees. I have a bunch and I see them and the black swallowtail butterflies all summer long. Of course, I can’t take good pictures of them with my itty bitty camera, but I can vouch for them being around. 😉
By the way, Mr. Kayaker, I recommended your site to one of my students today. He came in with a lovely photograph of the boardwalk at a local beach and we chatted about his love of photography. I told him he needed to check out your site. 😉
Hi Michele,
Thanks for the tip about Sassafras Trees. Now I just need to find some.
I hope your student enjoys my website. I’d hate to disappoint our youth. JK
I would think there would be sassafras frees at Avalon and those other preserves. They spread like crazy. But I can give you one if you want. And then you, too, can have them visit your home. 🙂
I am SURE my student will love your pictures. 🙂