“Short-tailed Swallowtails” ...

”Short-tailed Swallowtails”

by Suzán Jiván Mom
& Mom-Mom Suzán

Short-tailed swallowtails
negligibly brownish
with pale spots and bands
diffused by blue patches
in basal wing halves
via lined thoraxes
abdomens seen
as chiefly black
and extremely variable
with grays and tans
living on host plants
as members of the carrot family
amid arid lands including canyons
plus serpentine barrens
where seldom-seen females
delicately sip nectar
from mint flowers
while exceptionally powerful
males engage in aerial battles
then congregate on damp earth
to drink sparse liquids communally...