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Project Noah Nature School
Papilio glaucus
This is a common, large swallowtail butterfly of eastern North America. The male is always yellow with black striping on the wings, but females may have either similar coloring or a black phase--both of which are shown above. Wingspan is variable depending upon location and gender (southern specimens are larger and females are larger than males) but are about 8 to 14 cm (3.1 to 5.5 in).
I photographed these two individuals in an old field, but I often see them in grasslands and along forest boundaries.
Spotted on Aug 24, 2011
Submitted on Aug 25, 2011
3 Comments
Nice pics, I have seen more of those this year than I think I ever have but not in the black phase.....I haven't been able to get one in the lens though.
They are beautiful, aren't they? Thanks for the kind words about the photography.
Aren't they beautiful?...a nice educational post....and great photos