Butterfly Addendum

I just looked up a few more butterfly details (to confirm that yes, we do have a monarch sipping from our zinnias today!) and found that the gender of the black swallowtail can be determined by observing the coloring. Turns out the females have a broader band of blue, with the red dots minimized, while in males the blue is diminished and the red dots are larger. So, looking back at my photos, I shoud have said "she" rather than "he," and I'm pretty sure the second was female as well. Go girls!

We also have a large number of tiger swallowtails and painted ladies now, as well as another orange type I haven't identified yet. Such a beautiful season :)