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Posts Tagged: Western Tiger Swallowtail
A Tiger and a Tithonia
When a tiger meets a Tithonia, or a Tithonia meets a tiger, Nature bursts forth in all its glory. Such was the case when we spotted a Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, foraging for nectar on a Mexican sunflower,...
A Western tiger swallowtail lands on a Mexican sunflower and begins to nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Western tiger swallowtail decides that "leaving" is good. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The "tiger" begins to make a quick exit. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Tail up, and off it goes, the Western tiger swallowtail caught in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Butterfly and a Bush: A Love-Hate Relationship
When a newly eclosed Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, lands on a butterfly bush, the colors are striking. The yellow and black butterfly contrasts well on the purple blossoms of Buddleja davidii. While the majestic...
A Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, nectaring on a butterfly bush, Buddleja davidii. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Applause for the Pollinators
Bees, butterflies, beetles, birds and bats. What do they have in common? Skipping the alliteration for a moment, they're all pollinators. Honey bees grab the most attention, of course, and they do the bulk of the work. But so do bumble bees and other...
A Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, touches down on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The soldier beetle (family Cantharida) is also a pollinator. This insect resembles the uniforms of the British soldiers of the American Revolution. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee, Apis mellifera, and a Western yellowjacket, Vespula penslvanica, sharing a rose. Both are pollinators. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee, Apis mellifera, and a bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, sharing a purple cone flower, Echinacea purpurea. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What's in a Name? Western Tiger Swallowtail
It's not "officially" spring until we see--and photograph--the spectacular Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus. That's what I posted April 2, 2021 on Bug Squad after seeing one land March 30 on a white lilac bush in a...
A newly emerged Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, an image taken in 2021. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Throw a Little Shade on Me, Please
Are you tired of the triple-digit temperatures? Wish someone would throw a breeze your way and provide a little shade? A honey bee foraging on a Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifola) probably felt a slight breeze when a Western tiger...
A honey bee and a butterfly, a Western tiger swallowtail sharing some nectar on a Mexican sunflower in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"This flower isn't big enough for both of us!" The Western tiger swallowtail lifts off, providing an umbrella—a little shade—on a triple-digit temperature day. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
