Tiger Swallowtail on a zinnia
Papilio glaucus
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail · Brooklyn Botanic Garden · 12 July 2025
An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on a zinnia in the July border, proboscis down into the central disc where the nectar actually is. This is the butterfly of every eastern garden in summer, and a zinnia's flat top makes a good landing platform for something this size, which is why the two are so often photographed together.
The showy outer petals of a zinnia are sterile ray florets. The business of the flower is the ring of tiny yellow disc florets in the middle, which open a few at a time over weeks, and the swallowtail is drinking from those.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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. Type to find something, or narrow it by period, place or species.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.