Butterflies: the Sulphurs

What makes a "5" Star Wildlife Photo? 

Combination of factors really: 1) the rarity of the subject; 2) what the subject is doing; 3) colors; 4) composition; 5) background and foreground; 6) focus; and 7) detail. Yet, inside each of those categories there can be differences that please the eye. In some cases you might want the entire photo in focus, in others, just the subject with the background out of focus (like today's photo). And, while the butterflies in this particular photo aren't "rare" the offsetting colors (yellow and magenta) with the dark background are a big plus.

Cloudless and Dogface Sulphurs on a New Mexico Thistle