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

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Sleeping swallowtail butterfly and Himebotaru

Swallowtail butterflies are large butterflies that live in Japan and sleep on grass stalks at night. "Himebotaru" is a small firefly that lives in the forest and has a body length of about 6 to 8 mm. They give off a powerful light for a short time like a flash. I have been investigating and taking pictures of this firefly habitat for 10 years. "Himebotaru" lives near people, but because it is not well known, its habitat may be destroyed by roads. I want people to know the existence of this firefly first, so I continue to shoot.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 06.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Yonago city, Japan
Camera: ILCE-7RM2
Copyright: © Masahiro Hiroike