#papilionoidea

📍 Location: Durham, North Carolina 🗓 Date: July 28, 2023 🐾 Media: Image 🌿 Species: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 📝 Notes: Large, distinctive swallowtail butterfly commonly found in forests, woodland edges, parks, and gardens. Males are typically bright yellow with black tiger-like stripes, while females may be yellow or darker “black morph” form depending on region.

Frequently seen flying along tree lines, roadsides, and near flowering plants where adults feed on nectar. Caterpillars feed on a variety of host trees including tulip tree, wild cherry, and ash.

perhaps my favourite caterpillars are those of the Evening Brown (Melanitis leda). intensely green and hairy, with a pair of superb burgundy horns!

below is their adult form. as adults, they are crepuscular (only active at dawn and dusk), an unusal trait for an ectothermic insect. this adult was found sleeping well after sunset, perhaps the only way to get close enough for a good photo!

27/10/20 - Photos 1-2 - Toxidia crocea

11/09/23 - Photos 3-4 - Ocybadistes flavovittatus

17/08/22 - Photos 5-6 - Sabera caesina

23/10/22 - Photos 7-8 - Sabera dobboe

22/12/20 - Photos 9-10 - Telicota colon

15/09/21 - Photos 11-12 - Suniana sunias

28/12/20 - Photos 13-14 - Cephrenes trichopepla

31/07/22 - Photos 15-16 - Cephrenes augiades

03/12/20 - Photos 17-18 - Notocrypta waigensis

Collection of Skipper butterflies I've found over the years.

27/10/20-11/09/23 - Hesperiidae spp.

how do you know and draw butterflies and moths so well? Do you research the species or read about them in insect books??

I wanted to ask for some advice and tips on how to draw them, if it's not too much trouble

【OC】 Papilionoidea ; 🦋