A Strange Butterfly
By fishtiger58
@fishtiger58 (29820)
Momence, Illinois
July 23, 2016 7:08am CST
The other day my husband called me out to one of our flower beds. He told me there was a huge butterfly flitting around the flowers. One he had never in all his 60 years seen in our area. And strange indeed. I had never seen this one around here before either.
I am going to post a 2nd picture so you can see it's what I would call it's swallowtail, along with the main shot. If you look closely it almost looks like the butterfly has fur. Yellow and black all over even it's body, but at the tail there is a bit of orange. Anyone know what kind of butterfly this is?
27 people like this
23 responses
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Jul 16
He was just sitting on my flower eating the nectar or pollen. Here is another shot.
10 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Jul 16
@JolietJake Yup that's it exactly. Have you seen any in your area JJ.
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
23 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 i love this second picture because we can see the tail, and all the other colors as well (flower, leaves, earth) i haven't seen that butterfly here, either.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (83103)
• United States
23 Jul 16
I don't know anything about butterflies but it looks interesting and not one I've ever seen before
2 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Jul 16
And huge biggest butterfly I have ever seen.
1 person likes this
@much2say (56088)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Jul 16
I love the photo - nature has the perfect colors for everything! As for the butterfly, I know I've heard my kids say they see swallowtails - but I'm no butterfly expert. It does look fuzzy furry - I've only seen that in a moth!
1 person likes this
@much2say (56088)
• Los Angeles, California
30 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 I just asked my daughter to look at the photo and she even said it looks like kinda like a swallowtail but different! What a mystery of the furry butterfly!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Jul 16
The furry body is unusual, I also have never seen that with a butterfly. I am pleased I was able to capture an image of it, thanks so much.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Aug 16
@much2say It's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
24 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 I have always liked and watched butterflies and damsel flies.I do not remember seeing this type of butterfly ever.
1 person likes this
@silvermist (19702)
• India
31 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 Yes,I see the photo.I have no idea.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Aug 16
@silvermist JJ found it online, it's an Easter Tiger Swallowtail.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
It's very different than the butterflies I have seen in my area. The thing was huge.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
30 Jul 16
It is a swallowtail, while camping we had thousands of them around us. After the rain they gathered on the mushrooms that popped up in the woods, I wondered why and still can't find an answer. My niece got a photo of that but I didn't - she said a half dozen on one mushroom....
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
30 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 will ask her to give me permission to use it, good idea!!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
30 Jul 16
@PainsOnSlate send me a message when you post it so I don't miss it.
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
30 Jul 16
oh wow I would love to see that shot, you should get it from you niece and post that. Love love your mushroom shot.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (342145)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 I don't think they are. Or at least, some are furrier than others.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
27 Jul 16
@JudyEv Apparently so I think this may be the first furry one I have ever seen.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
Yes now it makes me wonder, are all butterflies furry like that?
1 person likes this
@suziecat7 (3350)
• Asheville, North Carolina
28 Jul 16
How beautiful. Nature has some amazing creatures.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
28 Jul 16
Thanks so much. JJ found out it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jul 16
Sorry, not my line of expertise! LOL!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
23 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 Glad he was able to be of service!
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Jul 16
Mine either that's why I had to ask. JJ says and he's right it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137602)
• United States
31 Jul 16
That is an absolutely beautiful butterfly, tiger! Nice shot of it!
I have seen these butterflies around here.... I don't know the name for them, though.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
2 Aug 16
Thanks Evil JJ found the name, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (20040)
• United States
29 Jul 16
pretty. I think I have seen them here too.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Jul 16
It's a first for us, huge butterfly, could be the biggest I have ever seen.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
27 Jul 16
@fishtiger58 I'd never seen one like that before but it really is beautiful!
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
It's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, not sure if it's native to my area of the country, sure have never seen one before.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
23 Jul 16
JJ told me it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.
1 person likes this
@eliza_godinez12 (5723)
• Philippines
24 Jul 16
Wow! That's very nice photo. I haven't seen this kind of butterfly before.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
Thanks glad you like my shot, I have never seen it either
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
JJ found it online, it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Not sure if it's native to my area as I have never seen one before.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
I am wondering if it's coming around here because of the climate change. I am not sure it's native to my part of the US as I had never seen it here before either. I have lived in Illinois my whole life, it's a first for me.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
24 Jul 16
what a beaut! i see from the other folks that'cha got'cher answer's to the species :) i reckon's the climate continues to change, there's gonna be lots 'f critters showin' where they've not been seen 'fore...that'n loss'f habitat. wish i could get the butterflies here to sit still long 'nough fer me to snap some pics, lol. most seem quite nosy 'n prefer to flit 'p to the top'f my camera 'nstead. makin' me wonder if'n they're wishin' to tell me i'm doin' 't all wrong :)
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
I think you are right, we are seeing critters who are not necessarily native to this part of the country.
1 person likes this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
24 Jul 16
great photo ... you did well to get it ... as like you say they flit about quite a lot.....
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
I did have to keep chasing it with my camera, I'm glad I finally got a shot of it.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
26 Jul 16
I hadn't either Valerie, my hubby came in the house to get me, he knew I would want a pic of it.
