Rising Tide Images
Swallowtail
This gorgeous citrus swallowtail butterfly is drying its wings after eclosion from a chrysalis. Hanging upside down, hemolymph is pumped into the crumpled wings by wing movement and the assistance of gravity. After the wings have extended, most of the fluid is pumped back into the body with a small amount hardening in the veins of the wings over several hours providing the structural sturdiness required for flight. Having metamorphosed into the adult reproductive stage, it will spend its 2 to 4 weeks of remaining life searching for mates and producing the next generation.
The beautiful variations in hues and patterns on their wing canvases communicate various messages, often different on the top and the bottom. Typically, butterfly wing dorsal surface coloration attracts and appeals to potential mates, while the ventral surface offers predator protection through camouflage or aposematic warning.
Swallowtail
This gorgeous citrus swallowtail butterfly is drying its wings after eclosion from a chrysalis. Hanging upside down, hemolymph is pumped into the crumpled wings by wing movement and the assistance of gravity. After the wings have extended, most of the fluid is pumped back into the body with a small amount hardening in the veins of the wings over several hours providing the structural sturdiness required for flight. Having metamorphosed into the adult reproductive stage, it will spend its 2 to 4 weeks of remaining life searching for mates and producing the next generation.
The beautiful variations in hues and patterns on their wing canvases communicate various messages, often different on the top and the bottom. Typically, butterfly wing dorsal surface coloration attracts and appeals to potential mates, while the ventral surface offers predator protection through camouflage or aposematic warning.