Posted July 2nd, 2014

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

I found this butterfly crawling in the shadows on the dirt floor of my greenhouse. It was in danger of getting stepped on while I was kludging repairs to eke another year out of the decrepit structure before transplanting the starter plants that were crowding me out of my sunroom. The swallowtail obediently stepped onto a stick of wood I placed in front of it and I carried it outside and placed it in a clump of grass. The pristine wings of the specimen and its lack of any inclination to fly suggest to me that it had just emerged. It remained perched on that stick for hours in various positions with wings open and closed, giving me ample opportunity to photograph it thoroughly.
Pentax K-5, Sigma AF 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro @ f/8, ISO 400