Taillights

I don't really know butterflies; anyone know what this guy's name is? I can't keep calling

him Daniel.

Swallowtail...Daniel T. Swallowtail, to be precise. The two images side by side on your homepage are delightful, Don!

 

This fellow seems to have suffered some damage to his left tail - bird attack perhaps? Hmmm...let's see - MSN Encarta:

 

"Many lepidopterans, such as swallowtails, hairstreaks, and urania moths, have tail-like shapes on their hind wings; others, including wood nymphs and ringlets, have bright eyespots near the outer edges of their wings. These tail-like shapes and spots serve as decoys?birds tend to strike at these wing shapes rather than at the vital parts of the lepidopteran?s body, so the insect is more likely to survive a bird attack. In certain species, such as owl butterflies and io moths, the eyespots may be large enough to intimidate predatory birds.

 

Some species deter birds and other predators because they are poisonous or not tasty to eat. Butterflies of this sort are often marked with yellow, orange, or red on a dark background to warn predators of their unpalatability, and birds learn to avoid these patterns."

 

Don, you're SO educational!

 

 

 

Lee, thanks much for the quick and helpful response!

this one is my favorite of your really nice series! the position of the butterfly, the combination of colors, the light, the frame ...