The closest I.D. I can come up with is the western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus).
He was snacking on the leaves of a very large Mexican orange bush (Choisya ternata). I wonder if he was aware of the danger that lurked less than a foot away.
Can you spot the gray paperish wasp nest in the bottom right quadrant of the photo below?
I think this (below) is the kind of wasp that was working on the nest. It looks like a sand wasp but Wikipedia says they live in burrows in the soil (sand). Would they live in a paper nest like this? Probably not, but I don’t know…. I haven’t been able to identify this insect, but it seemed to belong to this gray paper nest. Any ideas? Not a yellow jacket.
wordsfromanneli 
July 6, 2025 at 10:29 am
Ooooh, that butterfly is living dangerously! I don’t know what kind of bee that is.
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July 6, 2025 at 10:35 am
Just because he’s a “tiger” swallowtail….
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July 6, 2025 at 1:28 pm
He might roar! 😻😊
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July 6, 2025 at 10:59 am
Sorry, no clue. 😊 Wiry wasp weaves wispy wonders.
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July 6, 2025 at 12:24 pm
Wonder what weird wacky words we will waken with writing. BTW, Brad, – Ursula, who commented after you, says she likes your comment.
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July 6, 2025 at 1:22 pm
😊
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July 6, 2025 at 11:02 am
It is a very pretty butterfly. I don´t think that the wasp will attak the butterfly. Very nice pictures, thanks for sharing.
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July 6, 2025 at 12:18 pm
I think they have an understanding.
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July 6, 2025 at 1:11 pm
That is definitely a western swallowtail. Sand wasps and mud dauber wasps are from the same family and tend to eat pests such as mosquitoes, so they’re kind of good to have around. Your picture looks like a potter wasp though and like the sand or mud dauber wasps (same family, I think), they don’t build paper nests. Could be a coincidence that this type of wasp is near a paper nest?
If you want to get paper wasps out of your yard you could try hanging a fake hornets’ nest. I used one to get the paper wasps out of my yard a few years ago.
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July 7, 2025 at 8:22 am
You are full of good ideas, Lynette. Thank you!
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July 6, 2025 at 5:22 pm
I didn’t realize wasps preyed on butterflies. It’s a beauty I hope it survived.
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July 7, 2025 at 8:21 am
I don’t know if they do, Belinda. Sorry if that was misleading. I was just projecting my own fears onto it. I know that hummingbirds are very wary of wasps. Possibly the butterflies are too.
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July 7, 2025 at 10:14 am
I looked it up, It seems they do, particularly their caterpillars 😏
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July 7, 2025 at 4:14 pm
Oh no! You’ve ruined my day!
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July 7, 2025 at 6:19 pm
Those stingers are stinkers 😏
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July 7, 2025 at 2:17 am
Not being an expert in South African wasps, I’m afraid I can’t help. Beautiful butterfly, though.
Christmas 2024, my grandson and his partner gave me a pack with a bee hotel, a bird box, suitable for blue tits, and a butterfly box. We hung them up, and nothing happened, but this year, the bees have found the hotel and several of the holes are occupied.
The tits don’t seem to like the position of the bird box, though. I suspect it might be too low, and the butterfly box I think, is for hibernating butterflies, so nothing yet, but I’m excited about the bees.
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July 7, 2025 at 6:19 am
Anneli, it’s always fascinating how you describe your observations in such detail and provide matching photos. The Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) is indeed a beautiful butterfly, with impressive coloring and patterning. I’ve occasionally seen them in gardens here in Germany, too.
I think you’re probably right about the wasp nest – the gray, papery material suggests a social wasp species that builds such nests from paper fibers. It’s good that you’re being cautious and just observing the insects. I think most butterflies aren’t directly threatened by wasps or other insects as long as they’re left undisturbed. Thanks again for your fascinating description – it’s a pleasure to read your observations!
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July 7, 2025 at 8:16 am
Thank you so much, Rosie. Have a great week.
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July 7, 2025 at 6:58 am
That is a wasp nest? I’m impressed you leaned close enough (telephoto or not) to get such a good picture.
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July 7, 2025 at 8:15 am
I was close, but I was careful not to poke it.
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July 7, 2025 at 10:43 pm
You captured the tiger swallowtail at its best, Anneli. I photographed one and found out his wing was damaged. Wasp is dangerous. My husband got stunk on his ear three days ago and his ear is still red and itchy. He sprayed wasp nests at night at our California home. The eaves of our current home are too high if that’s where the wasp nest is. Anyway, I wish the best for the tiger swallowtail. Be beautiful, all the way.
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July 8, 2025 at 9:25 am
It’s a shame to have to kill the wasps because they eat so many flies (which I really hate), but you can’t have them stinging you every time you go near them either. I hope your husband’s ear settles down soon. I know those wasp stings can hurt like fire.
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July 8, 2025 at 11:15 am
Oh, thank you for letting me know wasps eat flies. I’ll tell my husband. The flies here are huge, as big as some bees.
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July 8, 2025 at 11:32 am
I hate flies!!!
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July 8, 2025 at 8:56 am
That nest is huge!
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July 8, 2025 at 7:15 pm
And it only takes one wasp to sting us.
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July 9, 2025 at 7:35 am
Yes!
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