Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

17th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A Puddle Party of Butterflies

Over 100 Spicebush Swallowtail and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies congregate on a gravel road. They are all males, and there to tap minerals from the ground. Butterflies often form such "puddle parties" at moist soil sites. The males extract minerals which help bolster their fertility.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2019
Date Uploaded: 08.2019
Photo Location: Friendship, Ohio, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Copyright: © Jim McCormac