Black Swallowtail at cardinal flower
Papilio polyxenes
Black Swallowtail · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 13 August 2026
A Black Swallowtail working a spike of cardinal flower stem by stem. Black Swallowtail caterpillars famously feed on carrot-family plants - dill, parsley, fennel, Queen Anne's lace - which makes a vegetable patch with any of those in it one of the easiest ways to attract the species without meaning to. The adult, with its rows of yellow spots and the blue on the hindwing, is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail, which is why so many eastern swallowtails have converged on the same dark look.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.