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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Shimmery

 

Quick and distant shot of a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) from a neighborhood walk in Cotati tonight (6 April 2025).  It was perched very high up in the trees, catching some of the last rays of the sun.  The shimmery blue iridescence on the hind wings was visible from far away.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! I'm wondering what tree or bush it's landed on? Do Pipevine Swallowtails frequent this area?

Jackie Sones said...


Well, I don't see Pipevine Swallowtails at the coast very often, but checking records in iNaturalist, they appear to be more common at inland sites in Sonoma County.

Here's a good summary about them and their life history:
https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/butterfly/battus/philenor