Although autumn is coming to an end in much of the northern hemisphere, here in Florida it’s still in full swing. The weather is definitely cooling, especially at night, but it’s not cold enough yet to put an end to either our colorful butterflies or our amazing wildflowers. Not long ago, I found this gorgeous pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) while I was out on a hike in the Gothe State Forest. I followed it for a few minutes until it stopped to feed on a really pretty bunch of dense blazing star flowers (Liatris spicata). I was really struck by the incredible amount of color in this scene. The dark butterfly with its beautiful blue inner wings and brightly spotted outer wings contrasted nicely with the bright pink of the flowers. The greenish background really finished off the color scheme. I couldn’t help but want some photos. Luckily, either the nectar was plentiful or the butterfly was hungry, because it perched and fed for about a minute before moving on.