Butterflies - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Photographing butterflies is always a challenge, but sometimes you get lucky. I found an Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) that was more interested in the nectar of a purple coneflower than escaping from the view of my camera.

This butterfly can be identified by the yellow with black markings which resemble tiger stripes. This butterfly is identified as a female by the blue spots on its tail.



An Eastern tiger swallowtail feeding on a purple coneflower.



A close-up view of an Eastern tiger swallowtail gathering nectar from a purple coneflower with its proboscis which is the butterfly’s mouth and is used like a straw to suck up liquids.