flutterby

Patiently transferring caterpillars from my herbs to my weeds (which are carefully maintained for the purpose!) has paid off. The Western Cape has been buffeted by some rather severe and completely unseasonal weather, and during one of these storms my mom noticed this butterfly unsuccessfully trying to crawl into the grass on my lawn to escape the wild winds. We brought her inside, where she conveyed her gratitude by posing patiently for my camera for hours (or so it seemed!). She spent the night and fluttered away the next day on a northerly breeze - which was headed out to sea, so I only hope she got a chance to alight somewhere and lay her eggs!


This time I actually know what she is, a Papilio demodocus, known as the citrus swallowtail or Christmas butterfly.