Waiting...for metamorphosis

A desert does not conjure up creatures like these in our imagination...a beautiful butterfly getting ready to emerge. The life cycle of butterflies is one of the true miracles in nature. Butterfly lives have four distinct stages: egg, caterpillar (or larva), chrysalis (or pupa), and adult. I believe this is a swallowtail. Amazing how such delicate life survives in the harsh climate of the desert! The butterflies are pollinators and without them, the flora will not thrive in the desert.

Nikon D750; Tamron 70-200/f2.8

Edited in Lightroom