The Black Swallowtail is a large and beautiful butterfly.

I would describe the Black Swallowtail as visually striking. But maybe for a different reason than most butterflies are.

Many butterflies that people notice get noticed because they are brilliantly colored.

On the other hand the Black Swallowtail is almost entirely black.

What sets the Black Swallowtail apart and makes it visually striking is the fact that it’s black is punctuated with brilliantly colored yellow patterns along its wings.

And there is also a hint of speckled blue along the wings as well.

Photo details: Nikon D300S. Nikon 300mm f/4. Focal length 420mm. ISO 400. 1/1000 sec. f/5.6.