{"id":175198,"date":"2026-04-19T04:38:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T09:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=175198"},"modified":"2026-04-19T04:38:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T09:38:19","slug":"spicebush-swallowtail-butterfly-on-lyreleaf-sage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/04\/19\/spicebush-swallowtail-butterfly-on-lyreleaf-sage\/","title":{"rendered":"Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly On Lyreleaf Sage"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SpicebushSpicebush Swallowtail butterfly nectaring on Lyreleaf Sage<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this month, I photographed this Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a plant I hadn’t identified at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

I edited the file to share here, dropped it on my desktop so I’d remember to ID the wildflower, then forgot about it. Life has a habit of getting busy, as you all know.<\/p>\n

Yesterday I was working on other things and noticed the file because the same plant is blooming like crazy here in my yard. I’d taken a few cell phone images of the wildflowers and used a phone app and iNaturalist to identify the plant.<\/p>\n

It is a Lyreleaf Sage, a member of the mint family, which is native to this area. Because Lyreleaf Sage tolerates frequent mowing and foot traffic, it can serve as a lawn substitute that also appeals to pollinators like bees and butterflies.<\/p>\n

There are patches of Lyreleaf Sage at the refuge that are great spots to look for bees, butterflies, and more. Hopefully the patch where I took this image has gotten through all the stormy weather we’ve had lately. I can check that out today.<\/p>\n

Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies prefer habitats where their host plants, spicebush and sassafras, are abundant. I’ve seen and identified sassafras on the refuge, but I need to look for spicebush.<\/p>\n

If I can locate them, I might be able to find Spicebush Swallowtail<\/span><\/a> caterpillars to photograph too. I’d enjoy that.<\/p>\n

I’ve been seeing these swallowtails and other butterflies in the yard. The cloudy and rainy weather has been preventing me from getting out to take photos of them at home and in the field.<\/p>\n

We are having a wet spring here but need the moisture. I’d just like a little more sunshine at home, even if it is only a half hour at a time!<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my insect and spider images.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month, I photographed this Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a plant I hadn’t identified at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":175195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13973,13974,15544],"tags":[4004,6098,7353,14190,13984,6041,6042,4040,17525,6044,15567,5070,17526,15566,15568,165,12003,12004,4307],"class_list":["post-175198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oklahoma","category-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge","category-spicebush-swallowtail-butterflies","tag-adult","tag-blooming","tag-blossoms","tag-bottomland-hardwood-forest","tag-bottomlands","tag-butterflies","tag-butterfly","tag-feeding","tag-lyreleaf-sage","tag-nectaring","tag-papilio-troilus","tag-purple-wildflowers","tag-salvia-lyrata","tag-spicebush-swallowtail","tag-spicebush-swallowtail-butterfly","tag-spring","tag-swallowtail","tag-swallowtails","tag-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/spicebush-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-3832.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-JzM","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":132509,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/08\/16\/more-new-butterflies-at-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":0},"title":"More New Butterflies At Sequoyah NWR!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"August 16, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday, when I shared the pale young Raccoon, I mentioned that I also photographed some butterflies at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. Here they are!","rel":"","context":"In "Oklahoma"","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pipevine Swallowtail next to the Arkansas River, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pipevine-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pipevine-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1350.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pipevine-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1350.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/pipevine-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-1350.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":134302,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/09\/10\/urban-spicebush-swallowtail-in-arkansas\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":1},"title":"Urban Spicebush Swallowtail In Arkansas","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"September 10, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird activity was slow yesterday when this Spicebush Swallowtail flew in and landed on the grass nearby. I quickly stood up to photograph the swallowtail.","rel":"","context":"In "Arkansas"","block_context":{"text":"Arkansas","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/arkansas\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spicebush Swallowtail in grass, Sebastian County, Arkansas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/spicebush-swallowtail-in-grass-mia-mcpherson-7542.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/spicebush-swallowtail-in-grass-mia-mcpherson-7542.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/spicebush-swallowtail-in-grass-mia-mcpherson-7542.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/spicebush-swallowtail-in-grass-mia-mcpherson-7542.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":175108,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/04\/17\/focusing-on-silver-spotted-skipper-butterflies\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":2},"title":"Focusing On Silver-spotted Skipper Butterflies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The last time I was at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge I spent some time focusing on Silver-spotted Skipper butterflies that were feeding on blooming clovers.","rel":"","context":"In "Oklahoma"","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Silver-spotted Skipper up close at Reeve's Slough, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/silver-spotted-skipper-butterfly-white-clover-mia-mcpherson-4749.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/silver-spotted-skipper-butterfly-white-clover-mia-mcpherson-4749.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/silver-spotted-skipper-butterfly-white-clover-mia-mcpherson-4749.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/silver-spotted-skipper-butterfly-white-clover-mia-mcpherson-4749.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":174223,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/04\/10\/male-pipevine-swallowtail-butterfly-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":3},"title":"Male Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I had multiple butterflies in my viewfinder, including this gorgeous male Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.","rel":"","context":"In "Oklahoma"","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pipevine-swallowtail-male-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4096.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pipevine-swallowtail-male-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4096.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pipevine-swallowtail-male-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4096.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/pipevine-swallowtail-male-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-4096.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":135270,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2024\/10\/05\/red-spotted-purple-butterfly-at-sequoyah-national-wildlife-refuge\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":4},"title":"Red-spotted Purple Butterfly At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"October 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Sharing my lifer Red-spotted Purple butterfly! I took photos of it on a nature trail at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, where I found it resting on the path.","rel":"","context":"In "Oklahoma"","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red-spotted Purple butterfly on a nature trail, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Red-spotted-Purple-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-9720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Red-spotted-Purple-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-9720.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Red-spotted-Purple-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-9720.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Red-spotted-Purple-sequoyah-nwr-mia-mcpherson-9720.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":173926,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2026\/04\/02\/dark-morph-female-eastern-tiger-swallowtail-at-sequoyah-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":175198,"position":5},"title":"Dark Morph Female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail At Sequoyah NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of March, I was tickled to have this dark morph female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly in my viewfinder at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies"","block_context":{"text":"Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/wildlife\/eastern-tiger-swallowtail-butterflies\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dark morph female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eastern-tiger-swallowtail-dark-autumn-olive-mia-mcpherson-2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eastern-tiger-swallowtail-dark-autumn-olive-mia-mcpherson-2011.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eastern-tiger-swallowtail-dark-autumn-olive-mia-mcpherson-2011.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/eastern-tiger-swallowtail-dark-autumn-olive-mia-mcpherson-2011.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=175198"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":175201,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/175198\/revisions\/175201"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/175195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=175198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=175198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=175198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}