PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Black Swallowtail

Earlier this semester (September 14th, namely), when I actually had spare time to go places, I was at Big Lagoon State Park. It was a smoking hot day with little or no wind and, as my companions cooked like live lobsters in a boiling pot of humidity, I found a few interesting birds and butterflies worth photographing. This was one of them; a black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes). I remember my first experience with black swallowtails at Mammoth Caves National Park in Kentucky. The road was littered with them. I've never seen so many butterflies in one place. Interestingly, the P. polyxenes in Kentucky are much darker with less yellow and more blue. I wonder if this is due to the cooler, northern climate. Natural selection would ensure that the darker butterflies would survive since they observe the warmth of the sunshine better then bright reflective colours. I guess that's why the tropics have all the bright, flamboyant colours. Style doesn't last long in the north. It gets weeded out. It says a lot about the people back in Canada. I hope everyone enjoyed thanksgiving last Monday.