There was an absolutely wonderful change in the weather last week. Gone were the days with oppressive humidity and scorching temperatures. In their place came days with highs near 80 degrees Fahrenheit, lower humidity levels and a reliable breeze that seemed to blow a little life back into things. I’ve been heading down to the Thinking Chair almost every morning that I am home, but then seeking relief from the weather during the day. Last week, however, I found great joy in staying outside all day long.

I even found myself confronted with the impulse to go out and explore. I’ve seen a lot of my own yard for the past two months and I decided that it was time to take my camera on the road and see something different. So, I headed for one of our wonderful state parks to see what else might be out there. I wasn’t disappointed. I parked my car and walked just a short distance to a large area of grass maintained by regular mowing.

Due to the scorching conditions of the past weeks, the lawn was relatively short, but the occasional wildflower had managed to grow a little taller than the grasses. It was upon one of these prominent blossoms (the flower of a knapweed plant, to be specific) that a butterfly decided to land. Nikonus and Iso had smiled upon me once again and seeing that I was actually making an effort they sent this butterfly as a reward. It landed on a flower that was about 12 feet away, which was just beyond the minimum focus distance of my big lens. Jackpot!

Immediately apparent to me was the fact that this was a black butterfly that clearly belonged to the swallowtail group. The butterfly landed, opened its wings flat so I could get a great photo of what I am going to call the “top” of the wings. The butterfly then moved around the flower, fluttering its wings and exposing glimpses of the “undersides” of the wings, but it never paused with wings upraised, so I don’t have a good photo of them. You’ll notice that I am being a little informal here, so I should probably explain myself.

In the world of insects in general, and butterflies in particular, the vocabulary required to accurately describe different parts of the body is very complicated. Wings have multiple parts and butterflies have two sets of wings. Thus, the different parts must be described very precisely so as to avoid confusion. The problem is this: if you don’t know the vocabulary, then there is nothing but confusion.

Here’s an example: Back at home, after my safari, I opened up my copy of “Butterflies Through Binoculars” and started the process of identifying my butterfly. I mentioned earlier that his was a black butterfly belonging to the swallowtail group, and I was amused to find that the official name of this particular species was the Black Swallowtail (Papilopolyxenes). Furthermore, this was obviously a male Black Swallowtail, but let me share some of the lingo from the book: “Also note that the FW postmedian and marginal yellow spots go all the way to the costal margin.” Yikes.

Basically, this is a Black Swallowtail because it has two rows of yellow spots that extend all the way out to the leading edge (the costal margin) of the wings. This is a male of the species because the yellow spots are quite bold. You will also notice some beautiful blue splatter marks on the lower portion of the wings. If this was a female the yellow spots would be much smaller and the blue spots much larger. Taxonomists and professional entomologists might need the fancy lingo, but those of us who occasionally see a butterfly can be a little more casual with our language.

The Black Swallowtail is capable of having two-to-three broods per year in the northern portions of its range. Thus, adults of this species are easy to find during most of the summer. This species takes advantage of human mowing and is particularly fond of clover as a source of nectar. It is also known for enjoying something called “hilltopping,” which is just what it sounds like. These guys like to find open areas at the tops of hills and mountains. While visiting such places, these butterflies tend to stay close to the ground, which is convenient for photographers.

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We are right in the middle of the breeding season for the third round of adults and they should be visible until mid September. This should provide you with plenty of motivation to go on your own butterfly safari to see if you can catch sight of this beautiful insect. So grab your binoculars and a companion and get outside. The second half of August offers some wonderful weather and it would be a shame to miss out on it.

Bill Danielson has been a professional writer and nature photographer for 27 years. He has worked for the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, the Nature Conservancy and the Massachusetts State Parks and he currently teaches high school biology and physics. For more in formation visit his website at www.speakingofnature.com, or go to Speaking of Nature on Facebook.