I've given up on the side by side thumbnails... it won't work at all for me.
EDIT: I went back and tried again and it worked. Strange... I thought I'd done this very same thing several times, but it didn't ever work until now.

An American Lady, some sort of Sulfur, and a Zebra Swallowtail



Pulaski, TN

Camera: Minolta Maxxum 7D

Your pictures are gorgeous, Grace! I believe the second picture is a cabbage white.
Tell me more about your zebra swallowtail!
I've only seen one locally, and that was about two years ago, near a nearby creek. Small flowered pawpaw, asimina parviflora, grows along most of the creeks here, so there is enough host plant material to support more zebra swallowtails than I've seen here. I've planted several asimina trilobas, the bigger leafed and bigger flowered type that they really prefer, so that in case one comes by here and has some eggs that need laying, I'll be ready. A butterflyer friend in another state sent me 4 ZS chrysalids, and two of them emerged last year. The other two have overwintered - I've LOVE to start my own colony of them!
Do pawpaws grow in your area? Do you see ZSs often?
If so, I'm jealous!
ZSs are a type of butterfly, along with red admirals, that I haven't raised and see only rarely - I'd like that to change!
Thanks for sharing your beautiful pictures!
Sherry

Sherry... I only saw one ZS about 3 times last summer... one just crossed my yard and kept right on going. They certainly aren't what I would call abundant in my yard. I honestly don't have hardly anything in the way of flowers yet... not that attract butterflies anyway. I have one Butterfly Bush that they love and that's really about it other than the wild flowers that grow around here. I'm not familiar with any Pawpaws here. I want to do a lot more landscape, but I haven't accomplished much in the 4 yrs we've been here since building the house. It's been very hard because I have had to do EVERYTHING from scratch... beds and all... and I'll just say, my husband and two boys aren't much into the gardening scene. I plan to get some hired help this year to do more... and one priority is a BUTTERFLY BED! Glad you enjoyed the Zebras. Maybe I'll have more this year.

Pulaski, TN

Camera: Minolta Maxxum 7D

I hope you'll include some pawpaws - asimina triloba - in your landscaping when you can, Grace. ZSs seem to be pretty scarce all over the east - nectar plants like butterfly bush are wonderful, but when a butterfly needs to increase its numbers, we especially need to plant its host plant.
Keep those great pictures coming, and keep your eyes out for ZSs for me!
Sherry

Thanks for that info, Sherry. I'll definitely request a Pawpaw now that I'm aware of that. I love to see the butterflies and to take their pics... but I'm really not very knowledgeable about this sort of thing. I'm sure if I hang around here, I'll learn loads more. Fill free to fill me in on all sorts of beneficial information... just not all at once as my brain reaches overload rather quickly when trying to process too much.

Pulaski, TN

Camera: Minolta 7D

Grace,

Fantastic photos! Those are truly beautiful butterflies in such gorgeous settings!

~ Cat (south tip of Texas)