The Western Tiger Swallowtail one of our largest butterflies in this region. These butterflies like to move a lot, so they are a challenge to photograph while they sit still. (Western Tiger Swallowtail) one of our largest butterflies in this region. Above and below, this butterfly has lemmon-yellow with black tiger stripes across the wings. The margins are black with small yellow dashes. It also has one or two orange-red spots and several blue spots in a black tail on the hind wing. They can be found in moisture areas such as seepage sites, creeks, canyons, water sides, trails, roadsides, parks and gardens throughout British Columbia to Baja California and east through the Rockies to the Black Hills of South Dakota, the high Plains of Colorado and New Mexico.
Pterourus Rutulus - Western Tiger Swallowtail on a Collomia Linearis (Narrow-leaved Collomia) slurping up some nectar from a flower - Mission Creek Greenway, South Kelowna BC - June 25, 2010.
At this time of year there are many colorful butterflies out and about flitting from flower to flower, attempting to get by day to day with the business of surviving. I found this particular butterfly in a small field with Narrow-leaved Collomia in full blossom near the Phase Two Parking Lot near East Kelowna Road in South Kelowna. Although the Tiger Swallowtail is fairly active and a bit skittish, I managed to snap a few close up shots of this beauty. The wings are very delicate so many of the butterflies have much wing damage, especially after a windy afternoon.
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