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Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Butterfly line art illustration (click image to enlarge)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly full color illustration (click image to enlarge)

Artist's notes:

The Black Swallowtail Butterfly was completed on 11.30.2011. I was contacted by a Flickr friend of mine - Ed McAskill - who noted I hadn't drawn a Black Swallowtail, and he suggested I use his excellent image as the basis for a drawing. Well, I took him up on the offer and the above drawing is the result. Usually I like to render butterflies from above with both wings extended out, but I couldn't resist this lovely pose of the insect perched on a flower.

Information about the Black Swallowtail Butterfly:

The Black Swallowtail - also called the Eastern Black, American or Parsnip Swallowtail - is a butterfly native to much of North America. The insect is mostly black with yellow, orange and blue coloration on the wings and yellow spots on the body. The wingspan is about 3-4.5 inches (8-11 cm) Adults feed on  nectar from various flowers including red clover, milkweed, and thistle. This butterfly is a mimic of the Pipevine Swallowtail, and can be found in open areas such as meadows, fields and gardens. It is the state butterfly of Oklahoma.