{"id":92222,"date":"2021-07-14T05:43:34","date_gmt":"2021-07-14T11:43:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=92222"},"modified":"2026-03-17T14:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T19:24:33","slug":"two-tailed-swallowtail-and-showy-milkweed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/14\/two-tailed-swallowtail-and-showy-milkweed\/","title":{"rendered":"Two-tailed Swallowtail And Showy Milkweed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Two-tailedTwo-tailed Swallowtail on Showy Milkweed \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/2000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Two days ago I stopped at a clump of blooming plants in mountain forest because I had spotted a butterfly nectaring on them and I wanted to photograph it.<\/p>\n

What is it?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I was asked what it was while I photographed the striking yellow and black butterfly and I said that it was a swallowtail but that I wasn’t certain of the species.<\/p>\n

When I am in the field I focus on the subject and if I don’t know precisely what it is I don’t stop what I am doing to identify it. I know that many of my subjects will be gone soon so I focus on them.<\/p>\n

There is time later to make a positive identification if I get decent photos which means I make that my priority.<\/p>\n

When I returned home and could view my images on a large screen I was able to identify this swallowtail butterfly as a male Two-tailed Swallowtail<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even though this particular swallowtail is pretty battered looking and was missing the features that give this species its common name using the markings on the fore and hindwings it was fairly easy to identify.<\/p>\n

If this specimen had been in better shape the two tails that give this species its common name would have been visible.<\/p>\n

During my research I learned that the female Two-tailed Swallowtail butterflies lay their eggs in the abundant chokecherry trees found in the Wasatch Mountains. Now I want to find the caterpillars of this species.<\/p>\n

\"Two-tailedTwo-tailed Swallowtail nectaring on Showy Milkweed \u2013 Nikon D810, f7.1, 1\/1600, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the flower the butterfly is on?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The wildflower that the adult Two-tailed Swallowtail is nectaring on is a Showy Milkweed<\/span><\/a>. I have found Showy Milkweeds high in the Wasatch Mountains, on Antelope Island, the marshes of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and in arid locations of the desert.<\/p>\n

It is a showy native plant that is beneficial for many bees, butterflies, and other insects.\u00a0 The first time I photographed this unforgettable wildflower was in July of 2008<\/span><\/a> on a visit to Antelope Island which was before I had moved to Utah.<\/p>\n

I would have loved to have sat at that clump of Showy Milkweed to see what other butterflies might have flown in. Another day perhaps, but it will have to be soon because the milkweed flowers are already fading fast.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

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

When I returned home and could view my images on a large screen I was able to identify this swallowtail butterfly as a male Two-tailed Swallowtail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":172281,"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":[4594,11998,26,773,5347],"tags":[4004,6570,2464,6098,6041,6042,3940,6518,5370,4062,6571,6572,4069,4302,6044,11999,5064,1173,12003,12004,12000,4307],"class_list":["post-92222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-morgan-county","category-two-tailed-swallowtails","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","category-wildflowers","tag-adult","tag-asclepias-speciosa","tag-bee","tag-blooming","tag-butterflies","tag-butterfly","tag-canyon","tag-flowering","tag-forest","tag-male","tag-milkweed","tag-milkweeds","tag-mountains","tag-native","tag-nectaring","tag-papilio-multicaudata","tag-pink-wildflowers","tag-showy-milkweed","tag-swallowtail","tag-swallowtails","tag-two-tailed-swallowtail","tag-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Two-tailed-Swallowtail-on-showy-milkweed-mia-mcpherson-9160.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-nZs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92397,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/07\/20\/fritillary-photobombing-a-two-tailed-swallowtail-butterfly\/","url_meta":{"origin":92222,"position":0},"title":"Fritillary photobombing a Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed a fritillary butterfly photobomb a Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly as it nectared on a Showy Milkweed high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Morgan County"","block_context":{"text":"Morgan County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/morgan-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fritillary photobombing a Two-tailed Swallowtail butterfly, Wasatch Mountains, Morgan County, 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Swallowtail Butterfly On Lyreleaf Sage","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this month, I photographed this Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly feeding on a plant I hadn't identified at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.","rel":"","context":"In "Oklahoma"","block_context":{"text":"Oklahoma","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/oklahoma\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly nectaring on Lyreleaf Sage, Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/spicebush-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-3832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/spicebush-swallowtail-sequoyah-mia-mcpherson-3832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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