Tiger Swallowtail behind the Redmond Senior Center

Here is a photo I took a few days ago of a western tiger swallowtail.  It was swooping down and feeding on flowers in the garden area behind the Redmond Senior Center.  

The caterpillars of this species feed on the leaves of a variety of trees.  The caterpillars molt 5 times, eventually reaching a length of up to 2 inches before pupating. In summer, the butterfly can emerge as little as 15 days after the caterpillar pupated, but when the caterpillar pupates in the fall, the butterfly will not emerge until the spring.  Adult females will lay up to 100 eggs, deposited singly on the underside of leaves.

Report and photo by John Reinke