The ID book I have which has a ton of butterflies and moths did not find this one. The head looks like a moth but who knows. I almost tossed this photo because the ground was really bad. I did not replace it but use Photoshop to fix it. I wanted to do that because this subject looks very beautiful
Specific Feedback Requested
Anything but let me know if you want to see the before. I did crop this some because I wanted to focus on the subject.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 6D ii Canon 180 f/3.5 macro at f/16 ISO 400 1/125. Did use a diffused flash and was HH.
It is very colorful, Dean. Maybe others know but I’ll take a stab it possibly being a version of a hummingbird moth. Their bodies can be quite large as this one is too.
Nice shot. Beautiful color. Looks a lot like a Tailed Jay butterfly ( Graphium agamemnon), but that species seems to native to the area from India through parts of Northern Australia. Maybe that’s why it not in your ID book? - Just guessing.
Thanks Marc, That poor butterfly really got lost, I was in Arizona when I took this in the mountains. I have never seen one like this. But the pictures on the web match it. Do they migrate across the ocean. No wonder it was resting, it did fly off.
Dean, that is amazing if it is from Australia. He is beautiful, whatever he is and wherever he is from. So glad you got to see it and capture this image.
I think I am going to post process this again. What I did not like in the photo I took was the background. I don’t know what this white stuff is on the ground but is was all over the place and the brown dirt, not really dirt, about 10 feet around. So I am looking for some ideas. The white stuff is too distracting and that is easy to get out of there. The color of the ground, is it ok? This photo is as shot.
I think it may be Graphium arycles, the Spotted Jay, like the Tailed Jay but without the tails, and this one doesn’t seem to have lost both tails. Maybe it escaped from a local Butterfly Farm? Anyway, I think you’ve done a very good job on the BG, Dean, making the butterfly stand out beautifully. Two pinkish lines outside the forewing upper edges could go, making the shot top-notch.
Dean: Almost certainly a malachite butterfly. I have several shots of them from the local butterfly pavilion but have never seen one in the wild. I have been to the butterfly house in Scottsdale but don’t recall if I saw one there which could account for the speculation about an escapee. Nice find and a fine capture. >=))>
Dean: I may take back my malachite comment as this does look like a green jay but without the tails. I have a number of shots of both malachites and green jays but all from butterfly houses. >=))>
