Pipevine Swallowtail and California Pipevine
Battus philenor and Aristolochia californica
Acrylic on watercolor paper, 2012
$300
11 x 11” framed; archival matboard, black metal frame
Pipevine swallowtails lay their eggs on the California pipevine; larvae eat the leaves, making them unpalatable and giving them life-long protection from predators. The butterflies often appear plain black in flight or on cloudy days, but in sunlight, the iridescent blue of their lower wings reveals itself. This painting is one in a series of insects and host plants.
