Black Swallowtail on mountain mint

Looking rather like a festively adorned lepidopteran Darth Vader, a Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, sucks nectar from the flowers of Virginia Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum virginianum. Mountain mints attract an awesome assemblage of native pollinators, and I would highly recommend them for your yardscape.

This butterfly was photographed this morning at Daughmer Savanna, and I'll hope to share some more photos and words about that foray when time permits.