A familiar backyard creature is the star of this week’s nature photo by Rossford resident Bill Heban.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is one of the most wellknown butterflies in the eastern United States.

“They are one of our larger species, averaging four to five inches across, and the yellow males sport the black tiger stripes,” Mr. Heban explained. “Females also have the stripes, but can be either yellow or black.”

Their egg/caterpillar host plants include a number of trees and shrubs, and a few favorites are tulip tree, wild black cherry and sweetbay magnolia.

Mr. Heban noted the short lifespan of these butterflies.

“The adults, such as the one seen here, live for about two weeks, and feed exclusively on nectar from a wide variety of flowers,” he said. “In our area, there are two flight generations per year,

“In our area, there are two flight generations per year, the first beginning in May.”

He photographed this butterfly nectaring on purple coneflower in his Rossford backyard a few years ago.

A Rossford native, Mr. Heban is a wildlife lover and long-time photographer specializing in native fauna and flora of the Midwest.

His stunning work has won numerous awards and has been featured in many publications.