Swallowtail Butterfly

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Photo © Kerry Michaels

I spent about half an hour today in the company of a beautiful and fearless, swallowtail butterfly. I watched as she perched on the edge of a calibrachoa blossom, sipping nectar.

After awhile, she flew around, perusing my containers. She checked out my peas, nasturtium, gazanias and all the other tasty flowers on offer, but she only had eyes for the calibrachoa. She flew back again and again to the same plant, each time to a different blossom. Watching her was such an intense pleasure, it stopped me in my tracks.

I wasn't sure what type of swallowtail she was or even if it was a he or she. To find out, I turned to About.com's, Guide to Insects, Debbie Hadley. Debbie told me she was a she: an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

If you can't figure out what your mystery bug is, you can upload a photo to Debbie's forum. She'll help you identify it - how cool is that?