Pipevine swallowtail caterpillar mandala card digitally printed using pigment inks (the best quality) on silky, bright white, acid-free paper. Folded card is 5.25" by 5.25" and comes with a beautifully made, bright white envelope. Perfect for an everyday note or birthday card for a native plants gardener, nature lover, or entomologist. The photograph I used to create the mandala is printed on the back of the card with the photo location and a little story about the plant and caterpillars. Interior of the card is blank or choose a message (choices are below). The paper is super smooth, not slick, and takes gel, ballpoint, and other inks well. The card and envelope are packaged together in a plastic sleeve and mailed in a stiffened mailer.

Interior Message Choices: Blank, Happy Birthday

Framing. This card is created using high-quality materials, such as might be used in a museum. The print is sharp, bright, and frameable. To protect the vibrancy of the artwork, I frame using UV glass or acrylic, and I recommend it. If you use plain glass or acrylic, make sure you hang this sweet, little piece and all your beautiful art away from direct sunlight.

About the art. The digital collage on this card, titled Pipevine Parade, was created from a photo of pipevine swallowtail butterfly caterpillars (Battus philenor) on the pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) growing over the Host Shelter at the West Virginia Botanic Garden near Morgantown. The mostly black adult butterflies have iridescent blue hindwings.

Pipevine, aka Dutchman’s pipe, is a West Virginia native that can be found growing streamside in partially shaded woodlands, often at high elevation. Pipevines are obligate host plants for pipevine swallowtail caterpillars. Each summer, hordes of the horned, black and red beasts can be found munching away on the Botanic Garden’s vines. The caterpillars are quite interesting, but don’t touch! Aristolochic acids in pipevine foliage make both caterpillars and adults distasteful to predators. As an added defense, the caterpillars are loaded with an acidic spray, which they’re not shy about squirting when disturbed.