Here is what I think is an Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly on a pink thistle flower.
Notice the bottom of his right wing is eaten off. The bright colors on a butterfly’s tail warns off potential predators, and also attracts persistent predators determined to take a bite out of the butterfly’s body, but instead munch off just an empty wing.
Eastern Black Swallowtails love gardens, meadows and open fields such as this one.
