Pale tiger swallowtail butterfly

Visiting gardens can be a great source of photographs.

I have to say that, outside of going to a butterfly exhibition, getting good photographs of butterflies tends to be a venture of chance.  Going to places that are likely to attract such insects increases those odds significantly.  It helps to be aware of the lifecycle and over-winter habits of these creatures, and if you are looking for a particular species the more knowledge you have the better.

I find late spring and early summer tends to be the best time to find these four-winged treasures.  Yes, its true, butterflies have four wings, like most insects.  Flies and beetles have only one pair but most other insects have two pair.  It just so happens that butterflies beat their wings in tandem; all of them going up and down at the same time.  Not all insects fly like this; the dragonfly alternates its fore and hind wings.

Since butterflies are nectar feeders they are most commonly found around flowers.  However, butterflies will also take juice from cut fruit and even will take water from a puddle or muddy spot.  They need both sugar and salt and will take these nutrients from a variety of sources.  I will stop at any garden center or park with a significant floral display in the hope of finding creatures that feed upon the nectar offered up by their colourful bounty.  I have had the good fortune of getting some very nice butterfly, hummingbird, beetle, and fly photographs at such locations.

Butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis.  This means the larval stage is completely different from the adult stage and there is (usually) a dormant pupal stage as well.  For the butterfly this means caterpillar young, which often are highly specific herbivores.  The pale tiger swallowtail caterpillar feeds on plants belonging to the ash and cherry families.  Other caterpillars, such as the monarch, are even more specific feeding on milkweed plants only.

The caterpillars grow until fall when they pupate.  Some bury themselves in the ground, others wrap themselves up in leaves using silk to bind the edges with.  They then molt one last time and enter the pupa stage where they overwait the winter.  At some point in the spring they emerge as adults and begin the search for a mate.  Eggs are laid on or near appropriate food sources for the young and the adults go their own way, often dying soon after the job is done.  The caterpillars eventually hatch and begin the process of growing to repeat the cycle.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen