Dorsal, Ventral

Day 236: I always feel a little like I should be singing "Here We Go Gathering Nuts In May" when I'm out chasing butterflies with the camera, but this one was very interested in the columbine. There were several others as well with varying amounts of bird damage to their wings. They tend to look rather tattered later in the season, so I was anxious to capture the ideal example while I could. The dorsal (topside) and ventral (underside) views are of the same specimen. This is Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus. It is very similar to P. eurymedon, and light individuals of Western are frequently mistaken for Pale where the ranges overlap as they do here. Had I only seen the ventral view, I might have questioned the identification, but the dorsal view showed distinctly yellow wings, fresh and bright, and probably only recently emerged.

Swallowtail Scales

Day 94: As I mentioned a few days ago, finding material for posts during the gloomy months of winter is no easy task, especially when I'd like to present a glimpse into the marvelous world of Nature. However, today it occurred to me to pull out my stereoscope for a closer look at a butterfly wing. Where did I get my subject matter? I have a small collection preserved in a Riker mount, traffic fatalities otherwise undamaged by impact.

It might surprise you to know that butterflies are both hairy and scaly. Both types of structure afford protection from predators. The hairs are a tactile deterrent (imagine a bird with a speech balloon above its head reading, "Ew! Furry!") whereas the scales shed readily if the butterfly runs afoul of a spiderweb. You might think of butterflies as being brightly coloured, but in fact, their striking hues are not due to pigments but to refraction of light within the microstructure of the scales. The feathers of Steller's Jays and many other bird species give the impression of being coloured, but in fact, most birds are brown despite how they appear to human eyes. The same principles apply to the wings of a butterfly. Mother Nature will have her little jokes on us, fooling us into believing we're seeing reds and blues where none exist. It's enough to make you wonder if anything is as we perceive it.

Footnote: I had this photo ready to go, but just happened to notice a feature in the new PaintShopPro called "text cutter." I couldn't resist experimenting. The letters were cut from the butterfly wing in the photo with just a few clicks!

Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio Rutulus

Day 263: Watching my Philadelphus (Mock Orange) be denuded of it blossoms over the last several days has given me a different perspective on butterflies. Perhaps the petals were ready to fall and only needed a slight nudge from a proboscis, but you'd think they were shredding them off one by one if you let observation guide you.

Picture this: Swallowtail lands on a flower, wings fluttering, legs waving as the insect attempts to gain a purchase. Once secured, the butterfly seems to burrow into the flower with some vehemence; jabbing, wriggling, flapping its wings vigorously. Suddenly, a shower of petals results, and Papilio rutulus dines with ease at the banquet of exposed stamens. Done, it moves on to the next flower and the process repeats, each time with a snowfall of Philadelphus petals.

While this wouldn't be particularly noticeable if one or two butterflies were at work, in the case of my 20' tall tree, thirty or more may be attacking flowers at the same time. Only a few petals drop from untouched blooms, as opposed to the hundreds dislodged by hungry flutterers. During the heat of the day, activity is somewhat limited, but when the first shadows touch the tree in the evening and its fragrance fills the neighbourhood, it seems to be abloom with yellow and black trembling flowers. Most have marked bird damage to their wings, but I was able to capture one perfect Papilio rutulus among the dozens ravaging the poor Philadelphus for breakfast.