This is a Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) butterfly showing off some of those red spots on a leaf last week. The harsh and very bright mid-morning sunlight really washed the butterfly (and photo) out, so what you see is my work balancing those contrasts and tones a bit. Woodland edges are usually a good place to find them. I was only able to get a good ventral view, and the somewhat skittish individual never allowed me a dorsal photograph. I wish it would relax – it’s a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) mimic and telling me it is poisonous, so why not shoot some close-ups?
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
