The tiger swallowtail butterfly occupies woodland areas and grasslands throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. An adult tiger swallowtail takes about a month to develop into an adult. They range in yellow colors, from small light-yellow butterflies to large, deep-yellows with two to three broods. Female tiger swallowtails are not poisonous yet resemble Pipevine butterflies, which gives the tiger swallowtail butterfly some protection against animals that like to eat butterflies and remember the markings of the poisonous butterflies that made them sick. Some male tiger swallowtails have blue spots near the tail. You can hold a butterfly very gently without damaging scales and even learn to protect them with a few simple steps.
Instructions
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1
Catch the butterfly with a butterfly net. You need a net with a 10-inch diameter opening and the pouch of the net should be at least twice as deep as the diameter.
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2
Reach inside the net once you catch the tiger swallowtail butterfly and gently close your index finger and middle finger together with its wings in between, pinching them shut.
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3
Hold the butterfly between your two digits tightly. You will not rub off any scales or damage the butterfly this way.
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4
Grasp the legs of the butterfly gently between you index finger and thumb of your free hand, then release the wings of the butterfly so that they spread.