G19

...is an on-going project. Over the past three summers I've reared butterflies. I purchase the eggs or larvae from a butterfly farm. This gave me the opportunity to record their fascinating life-cycle with both scanner and camera. I've been adding more and more nectar plants to my flower garden and the pay-off was immediate. At least half a dozen species that I'd never seen in my garden before visited. Last fall I observed a curious day-time, nectar-sipping moth. To scan the butterflies I enclose them in an envelope and put them in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. When they are released they are not warm enough to fly off so they will repose quietly on the scanner platen for a few quick scans. As for the caterpillars, I simply wait for them to take a little nap or pose them on their food source. When certain angles are impossible to capture with a scanner, I'll incorporated a digital photo.

This composite originally illustrated only monarchs, however all butterflies find milkweed florets an irresistable banquet. I've managed to collect many other "pretty good" images, so I just had to incorporate them all.