This is a picture of a Giant Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). The wing span measures 3 5/8 inches (9.2 cm). I caught it near Nauvoo, Illinois, by the shore of the Mississippi River, in July of 1970. I was 16 years old then. You will notice that this specimen is imperfect and you may wonder why I keep it in my collection when I could replace it with a more perfect one. I keep it because I caught it while I was on a vacation with my family. We were going to have a picnic and I saw this butterfly and ran after it with my butterfly net in hand. I was near a road and I was honked at by a driver who thought I would run out into the road to catch it. I was careful to stay out of the road and I safely caught it. This butterfly brings back good memories of a family trip. It was great. I will keep this butterfly in my collection even though it is imperfect, because it has sentimental value to me and my family.
I like when you tell stories along with the butterfly.
ReplyDeleteSounds kind of silly, but it brings the animal alive, and it makes the 16 year-old you real and present to the reader.