Black Swallowtail Caterpillar
Route 9, Belchertown
Photograph and text by Georgette deFriesse, Belchertown
I saw this beauty while walking my dogs one September afternoon. I brought the dogs home, grabbed my camera, and hurried back to capture this image. I saw the caterpillar again the following weekend on the same patch of Queen Anne’s lace, and decided not to photograph it again. During my subsequent walks in the days that followed, I noticed the grass in that area was dying off, getting browner each day. Then I realized: The land owners had sprayed the entire area with glyphosate. Sure enough, the spray had hit the patch where the caterpillar had been feeding. I thought about deleting the photo, knowing that the caterpillar died, but decided that this image can serve as a reminder of the terrible collateral damage from the use of herbicides.
Made with a DSLR using a medium zoom lens.
Georgette deFriesse is affiliated with the Robert Floyd Photo Gallery, 2 East St., Southampton. It is open Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., also, by chance/appointment.