Black Swallowtail butterfly

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Black Swallowtail butterfly

August 30, 2020 by Mike Powell

I spotted this Black Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In our area black-colored swallowtails also include dark morph Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, and Pipevine Swallowtails, so identification can be a bit tricky.

I can tell, however, that this butterfly is a Black Swallowtail because it is the only one of the dark swallowtails with a black dot inside of an orange dot on the edge of the wings near the body, a characteristic that you can see in the photo below. Unlike most of the butterflies that I have photographed, this one is not actively feeding, so its proboscis is curled up, rather being extended. If you double-click on the image, you can get a closer look at the curled-up proboscis and other wonderful details of this beautiful Black Swallowtail butterfly.

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, Summer, wildlife | Tagged black swallowtail, black swallowtail butterfly, Canon 50D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Papilio polyxenes, Woodbridge VA | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on August 30, 2020 at 8:09 am | Reply PaperKutzs

Great photo
- on August 30, 2020 at 8:10 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. I chased this butterfly for a while, so I was really happy when it finally rested for a moment, giving me the chance to get the shot.
on August 30, 2020 at 8:44 am | Reply allysnotebook

Lovely, beautiful colours.
on August 30, 2020 at 9:06 am | Reply Dan Antion

He appears to be in pretty good shape. Great photo, Mike.
on August 30, 2020 at 9:08 am | Reply melissabluefineart

This is a stunning photo! I’m glad to see that they are still flying near you. We used to see them all the time, along with the others you mention. Now I sometimes see the female dark tigers, but not these anymore.
on August 30, 2020 at 11:03 am | Reply Molly Lin Dutina

Thanks for the details! Continual amazement fro your posts.
on August 30, 2020 at 1:38 pm | Reply Reed Andariese

Nice image Mike! Enjoyed seeing it!
on August 30, 2020 at 8:56 pm | Reply sv-anui.com

Stunning, Mike, and great detail.
on August 30, 2020 at 9:40 pm | Reply Eliza Waters

Such a heroic pose – looking good! 🙂
on August 31, 2020 at 4:52 am | Reply krikitarts

Your patience pays off yet again. Bravo for the black dot!
- on August 31, 2020 at 7:38 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Gary. In my mind, patience is a critical trait for the kind of photography that I like to do. Some folks get easily frustrated and prefer the kind of photography where you drive to a spot, take a photo, and move on to the next spot, like you might do on a tourist excursion.
  - on September 1, 2020 at 3:57 am krikitarts
    
    Loud and clear, Mike, as usual!
  - on September 1, 2020 at 7:46 am Mike Powell
    
    🙂
on August 31, 2020 at 5:59 pm | Reply Peter Hillman

That’s a real stunner, Mike! You got the angle and pose, and lighting to perfection.
- on August 31, 2020 at 7:25 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Pete. I took quite a few shots. The butterfly was fluttering a lot as it moved about feeding, so it was a bit of a challenge to get track it and get a good angle. As is often the case, persistence paid off. 🙂
  - on September 1, 2020 at 3:53 am Peter Hillman
    
    Your patience and persistance certainly paid off, Mike. This is what makes nature photography such a challenge, as you never know what you are going to get and how it will pan out in the end.