Butterflies were really active this past Monday at Huntley Meadows Park, especially around the buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis). A dark swallowtail butterfly caught my eye and my mind raced to remember how to distinguish among the various dark swallowtails. Fortunately I had enough presence of mind to capture some images, knowing I could search different resources when I got home.
I’m pretty confident that the butterfly in question is a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor). One of its distinguishing characteristics is a single row of orange spots in the shape of a C. As I was searching the internet, I came across a wonderful posting by Louisana Naturalist that has side-by-side photos of four different dark swallowtails —the Black Swallowtail, the dark morph of the female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, the Spicebush Swallowtail, and the Pipevine Swallowtail.
As I was trying to get a shot of this butterfly, which was in constant motion, another insect decided to photobomb us. I think it is a bee and I am including a photo of the photobombing insect just for fun.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Remarkable clarity and beauty in these photos, Mike. I laughed at the photo bomb, glad you kept it in the series.
Wow! What an incredible butterfly. Your composition makes me think of a Japanese print. Beautiful image.
Lovely! The color makes a big impact
Wow Mike, what a superb butterfly and stunning images!
Lovely shots, what a beautiful butterfly!
Thanks, Nick.
Why didn’t you provide a hyperlink to the four-panel composite image of dark swallowtails?
Oops. I intended to and didn’t double-check my work. 🙂 Thanks for the eagle eyes–I added the link.
I love it!
I just started a blog about insects and animals. It would be great if you could see it!
I love the blue and orange colours of this species. It almost doesn’t look real. Beautiful shots, as always.
Thanks. The blue and orange combination is really striking and makes this butterfly stand out.