Black Swallowtail
Monarch Butterfly
Hontz Resort
Shickshinny PA
2021

The black swallowtail's ventral side mimics other species to protect itself from predators.

The black swallowtail has a wingspan of 3-4 inches. The uppersides of its wings are dark blue to black with rows of yellow spots along the edges of its hindwings and forewings. It also has a blue band of spots and reddish orange eyespots on its hindwings.

Butterflies are insects that have large, often brightly coloured wings, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises the superfamilies Hedyloidea and Papilionoidea. Butterfly fossils date to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago.

Due to their bright colors and visits to flowers, butterflies are the most familiar of insects to humans. There are about 17,500 species of butterflies in the world, and around 750 species in the United States.

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/butterfly

https://butterflywebsite.com/

Papilio polyxenes, the (eastern) black swallowtail, American swallowtail or parsnip swallowtail, is a butterfly found throughout much of North America.

Black Swallowtails are capable of rapid flight and are often seen gliding in open areas or thermals. During flight, males are territorial and will chase away intruders, including other males or even different species of butterflies.

Common cultural depiction often use swallowtail butterflies to represent the grace and free nature of the ineffable human soul. Other concepts associated with swallowtail butterflies are hope, endurance, change, and life.

Butterflies are often associated with transformation, renewal, and new beginnings. Encountering a butterfly could suggest that something positive is about to happen in your life, or it may be a reminder to embrace change with an open heart.