It’s a pollinator paradise as we trip from July into August. Monarch butterflies flit here and there, extracting nectar from wherever they can find it.
Competing for food sources and maybe passerby attention is the Eastern tiger swallowtail.
This is one large insect, no joke. It’s like I photographed a butterfly-shaped salad plate.
Wingspan of a monarch? 3.5 to 4 inches. A swallowtail? 5.5 to 6 inches.
If you see a swallowtail, be sure to appreciate its unusual size and dramatic stripes while you can. An adult swallowtail lives just 6 to 14 days.
To learn more about the swallowtail, click here.
must love biscuits 
Great picture.
On Sun, Aug 1, 2021, 10:14 AM must love biscuits wrote:
> Kristen Short posted: ” It’s a pollinator paradise as we trip from July > into August. Monarch butterflies flit here and there, extracting nectar > from wherever they can find it. Competing for food sources and maybe > passerby attention is the Eastern tiger swallowtail. This” >
Thanks so much, Cliff!
You captured the futterby’s fragility, grace, and beauty. You’ve reminded me I need to visit CPD’s Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It has been years.
Isn’t that swallowtail something else? Still can’t get over how big it is. Really amazing!