Pipevine Swallowtail -male- (Battus philenor) Spruce Knob, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
The wide open wings in this shot may look stationary, but the Pipevine Swallowtail intensely flutters its wings when nectaring and it darts from flower to flower with rapid and strong motion.
This species favors rich moist woods. It is encountered in all provinces, but most often in the mountains near its host plant (Aristolochia).
There was an abundance of Pipevine in the lower elevation of this mountain, but regrettably, because of poorly timed mowing, most of the nectar sources were removed in this habitat.
Spruce Knob (4,863 ft; 1,482 m) is the highest point in West Virginia and the entire Allegheny Mountains.
Pipevine Swallowtail -male- (Battus philenor) Spruce Knob, Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia
The wide open wings in this shot may look stationary, but the Pipevine Swallowtail intensely flutters its wings when nectaring and it darts from flower to flower with rapid and strong motion.
This species favors rich moist woods. It is encountered in all provinces, but most often in the mountains near its host plant (Aristolochia).
There was an abundance of Pipevine in the lower elevation of this mountain, but regrettably, because of poorly timed mowing, most of the nectar sources were removed in this habitat.
Spruce Knob (4,863 ft; 1,482 m) is the highest point in West Virginia and the entire Allegheny Mountains.