Western Tiger Swallowtail on native California Thistle
This is a gorgeous Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) butterfly working a new flower of California Thistle (Cirsium occidentale var. californicum, Asteraceae) in the woods today. I've mostly been seeing these brilliant butterflies flying up and down the canyon without ever landing, so it was a pleasure to find this one visiting this new flower today. Later in the summer, the Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) butterflies start to look cream-colored like this one, but there's no confusing them with the real thing. (San Marcos Pass, 22 May 2022)
Western Tiger Swallowtail on native California Thistle
This is a gorgeous Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) butterfly working a new flower of California Thistle (Cirsium occidentale var. californicum, Asteraceae) in the woods today. I've mostly been seeing these brilliant butterflies flying up and down the canyon without ever landing, so it was a pleasure to find this one visiting this new flower today. Later in the summer, the Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) butterflies start to look cream-colored like this one, but there's no confusing them with the real thing. (San Marcos Pass, 22 May 2022)