Butterflies

Since I have started my hiking photo gallery I have managed to capture a few butterfly photos.  They aren't easy since they like to flit about a lot.  Sometimes they get really busy though and forget about the  paparazzi human with the dog attached to her waist.  It's very exciting when they settle down for a moment and I can get a quick shot or two in.  Here's what I got so far this year.

Northern Pearly-Eye Brushfooted Family

Duskywing Skipper Butterfly

Male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Buckeye Brushfooted Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary Longwing Butterfly

Red Spotted Purple Brushfooted Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Silver Spotted Skipper Butterfly

Female Tiger Swallowtail (yellow version)

Female Tiger Swallowtail (black version)-they mimic the pipevine swallowtail

Last week I was  really absorbed in  photographing a gulf fritillary when all of a sudden I felt a sharp sting on my ankle and looked down to a swarm of fire ants taking a bite out of me.  After desperately trying to brush them off with my handkerchief I sprinted to the nearest creek and sat there soaking for a good while to relieve the awful itch and burn.  Lesson learned: always look down for ant hills.  To explain the above caption.  The Female Easter Tiger Swallowtail Dark version mimics the Pipevine Swallowtail. In Biology mimicry is the similarity of one species to another which protects one or both.  The Pipevine Swallotail eats a plant that makes them nasty to predators.  Predators will learn to leave them alone.  The Female Tiger Swallotail will only have the dark form if a lot of Pipevine Swallotails live in the same area.  So my quest has become to find that Pipevine Swallowtail!