Black Swallowtail, female

Description:

larger black butterfly, female has reduced yellow and typically more blue than male

Habitat:

Prairies, marshes, fields. Seldom encountered in the woods

Notes:

Prairie restorations often disturb insect species like the Black Swallowtail. Be sure to divide any prairie area to be subject to a controlled burn into more than one area and alternate area burned over more than one year. Never burn an entire prairie all at once, you may help the plants rejuvenate themselves but kill of a local population of insects.