Spice Bush Swallowtail

Ian spotted three perfect Spice Bush Swallowtails on Aug. 31st.

Initially, I assumed they were Eastern Black Swallowtails. The resemble each other very closely. It can be especially confusing, if the two aren't side by side for comparison. Thanks to butterfliesathome.com for the definitive tip. Look for the missing orange spot on the underside of the wing. Enlarge the photo if you can. Notice the blue elongated mark that appears on the same row as the orange dots. That's the identifier.

I took several shots following a rain shower. There was so much humidity in the air my camera lense kept fogging up. They must have just emerged as there were no signs of wear and tear on them.

I thought the above shot turned out to be more artistic than blurry, so I'm sharing it with you.

This blog entry was interrupted by a free plant curb alert from our neighbors, Matt and Lindsey. We now have a huge clump of bearded iris, Immortality. Yay!