butterfly stroke make frequent appearances in our gardens but sometimes it can be tricky to recount what they are . Certain butterflies are instantly placeable ( like monarchs ) while others are so similar - looking ( hello , swallowtail genus ) that it ’s hard to nail the accurate species . And while you might think you ’ve just spotted a monarch with its striking coloration , it actually has a few ape that can throw you off !
There are alsobeautiful garden moths that depend like butterflies , and common butterflies that are so nondescript , mass sometimes err them for moths .
So , the first thing you should know when seek to key out the flutterby you see in your yard ( as my family affectionately refers to these winged beauties ) is …
Butterfly or moth?
Can you tell the difference ? butterfly stroke and moth belong to the family Lepidoptera and have delicate , patterned , and often colorful wings . The grownup are often see feed on the ambrosia from your flower , and both group are important pollinators .
When butterflies and moth set out their lives as caterpillar , it ’s backbreaking to discern one from the other . But once they transfigure into flying insects , their physical differences become more apparent . you may often tell butterfly and moth apart by curb a few key characteristics :
Did you know?
Moth species outnumber butterfly stroke metal money almost tenfold ( around 160.000 vs. around 18.000 ) . Because moth are usually duller in color , smaller , and less blazing , though , the butterfly incline to get all the credit .
Once you ’ve determined that the winged beast in your garden is , indeed , a butterfly , see if it matches up with any of these common species .
Genus Papilio: the swallowtails
Eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
If you dwell in the easterly United States or southeastern Canada , one of the most prominent butterfly species you may come across in your garden is the eastern Panthera tigris swallowtail .
With a wingspan of up to 5 1/2 in and dim - rim , smart white-livered wings cover in a tiger - stripe pattern , this is one of the easier butterfly stroke to identify . It ’s participating from spring to pass and in the main like woodlands . This being said , it ’s not very fussy about which flowers it feeds on , so it can also be happen in parking lot and backyard .
cat : Found on a variety of plants , admit those in the magnolia and move up menage . It ’s with child and green to brown , with big eye spots on the side of the head teacher .
A dark brown colour morph exists in female eastern swallowtails . If you see a dark-brown one , it ’s always a miss ! In yellow specimens , you’re able to say the difference between male and females by the dispirited hue the latter has on her “ keister . ”
Western tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
No worries , westerner — you guy cable get a swallow-tailed coat as well ! In fact , the western Panthera tigris swallowtail looks almost selfsame to its easterly cousin at a coup d’oeil , although the tiger band radiation pattern on its wing differs slightly .
The westerly swallowtail can be found from as far northerly as southerly British Columbia to as far south as Baja California in Mexico . It like all sorts of habitats , particularly those with plenty of moisture , and will often stray into parks and gardens .
Caterpillar : appear just like that of the easterly Panthera tigris swallowtail ; unripe or brown in colour with eye spot . emcee plants admit willow , ash tree , cottonwood , aspen , and various other trees .
Giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Say hello to the large butterfly stroke in North America ! Unlike its aforementioned full cousin , the giant swallowtail is black with some yellow ( rather than yellow with some mordant ) . The male person can adopt a wingspan of almost 7 1/2 column inch !
This species is found in much of the US and beyond , with its range fundamentally imprint a sloped line from southerly California to southeastern Canada . The species likes forested areas , but since it ’s not very finical about nectar sources , you should n’t have too much trouble get it to inspect your G .
Caterpillar : Cream and brown marbling ? Yep , there ’s no agency around it ; it looks like bird low-down .
As beautiful as they are , giant swallowtails ( or their cat , anyway ) are regard blighter by citrus farmers . They just know munching on any plant in the citrus family , including the ones we spring up for solid food .
Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
The genus Papilio is the gift that keeps on giving . I ca n’t even discuss all the North American species here , let alone the gorgeous specimen found in the balance of the world ! Let ’s end up our face at this genus with the stunning black swallowtail , P. polyxenes .
As its name propose , the wings of this swallow-tailed coat species are mostly grim in color . Both male person and females have a pattern of icteric superman , although they ’re more judge in the boy . The females have a splashing of pallid blueness on their “ rear end . ”
The smuggled swallowtail has a wide reach , like to that of the aforementioned giant swallow-tailed coat but a bit more extensive . It ’s feel all the direction from southerly Canada far into South America , with only the northwestern US states being excluded .
Caterpillar : call the Petroselinum crispum dirt ball , as it likes industrial plant in the parsley sept and can be foundfeeding on common fennel , carrot , and many other garden herbs . It ’s green with black stripes and orange tree Transportation .
Genus Vanessa
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
The genus Vanessa , also have sex as the lady butterflies , is one of the most usually spotted in backyards . Of its 22 members , the red full admiral ( V. atalanta ) is probably the most frequently respect . With its drear brown to shameful wing splashed with deep Orange River and acid of bloodless , it ’s by all odds hard to miss !
The red full admiral has a wide instinctive range . It can be launch throughout all of the United States , as well as much of Canada , Mexico and moderately much the entirety of Europe . It likes woodlands , but because it loves feeding on butterfly bushes and other garden flowers , it ’s not unmanageable to attract to your yard .
cat : Brown and spiky . It almost exclusively feed in on ( stinging ) nettle works .
Like some other butterfly species , the reddish admiral is territorial . Male occupy perching floater and await for females to aviate by . They fight their territories from intruders by trying to outmaneuver them in a complicated sort of flying dance .
Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
envisage a red admiral , but with the dark coloration on its wings turned into bright orange . That ’s the painted ma’am ! This beautifully pattern species is one of the most far-flung butterfly , occurring jolly much everywhere except South America .
The paint lady is a migrant species that overwinter in warm locations and then moves to cool zones when the weather allow it . In the summertime months , it can be found throughout the US . Like many of the other coinage on this tilt , it ’s easy enough to appeal to your garden , as it ’s not picky about host and solid food plants at all .
Caterpillar : Brown and spiky with a back stripe . It weave a kind of silky nest around itself for protection , making it well-heeled to recognize .
American lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
No worries , you ’re not learn doubly : the American lady , Vanessa virginiensis , does depend very alike to its aforementioned painted peeress first cousin . Once you could tell these apart , you could truly call yourself an expert at backyard butterfly stroke designation !
If you ’re uncertain which you ’re dealing with , there are a few indicators , though most of them are pretty subtle . The easiest course of action is to hold back until the butterfly stroke you ’ve spot close its wings . V. virginiensis has two large eyespots on the bottom ( ventral ) side of the wings to confuse predators , while V. cardui has four much small ace .
As its name evoke , the American lady butterfly stroke can be found throughout temperate North America ( in Hawaii , it ’s an introduced coinage ) . It also pops up in Macaronesia , the various Atlantic islands off the African coast . It likes assailable home ground where plant in the daisy household , Asteraceae , can be find .
cat : Spiky and with alternate dark and light stria , plus twin rows of white spot on its back . It likes flora such as pussytoes and cudweed .
Genus Polygonia: the commas
Question mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
Thought you fancy a numb foliage , but it turned out to be a butterfly with closed backstage ? Plenty of butterflies have evolved to look like dead leafage when they ’re at rest , but the question mark ( Polygonia interrogationis ) is particularly well - camouflaged . When it opens its annex , though , educate for an explosion of beautiful orangish - reddish tones .
by nature establish throughout the eastern United States and into Mexico , this species lends its odd name from the diminutive silver mark off on the bottoms of its flank . It ’s supposed to look a small like a interrogative sentence home run , although I have to admit I do n’t quite see it !
Question Simon Marks like woodland with some clear space . They ’re not very fussy , invalidate nectar and mostly feed in on “ trash ” ( rotting fruit , dung , dead animate being ) . This explain why they frequently wander into Park and gardens , especially if there are fruit trees present .
cat : Reddish - chocolate-brown with forficate spikes . It eats a variety of industrial plant , including ( false ) nettles and elm .
Butterfly appearance is quite various . In many coinage , individuals that hatch in fountain search dissimilar from those that hatch in late summertime . This is called seasonal dimorphism . “ Summer - form ” question marks , for exemplar , run around a black tincture on the downhearted part of their wings .
Eastern comma (Polygonia comma)
Yes , the members of the genus Polygonia really are all named after punctuation mark mark . Most of them are referred to as commas due to the “ C ” soma of the small white sucker on the bottom of their wings . Particularly vulgar in the US is the easterly comma .
Found in the eastern half of the state and into the southeastern regions of Canada , the easterly comma ( Polygonia Polygonia comma ) can be difficult to distinguish from the aforementioned enquiry mark ( P. interrogationis ) . Another good test for your butterfly identification skills !
bet at the wing when they ’re shut : the little spot that gives these species their name is continuous in the comma butterfly . In the question mark , it has a flyspeck separate dot — like a query mark , get it ?
The eastern comma butterfly appreciates moist areas where water can be found nearby , like stream , marshes and urban ponds . Like its motion chump cousin , it does n’t really feast on prime . alternatively , it prefers rot fruit , tree diagram sap , and dung .
Caterpillar : Extremely varied in color , so it can be a bit tricky to identify . It has branch prickle and can be sick green , sinister with sick green appendages , or even half orange and half white . It eat a diversity of plants , including hops , nettle , and birch tree .
Genus Colias: the sulphurs
Orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Most butterflies have camouflage colors on the bottoms of their wings , meaning they look much more vivacious when their wings are open than when they are closed . With the orange sulphur , though , I just ca n’t cipher out whether I wish the more dramatic upper wing with its black margins or the pink - rimmed , bright sensationalistic undersurface more !
Found everywhere in the US , plus late into Mexico and Canada , the orange sulphur is a vulgar garden butterfly . It of course occurs in meadows and fields where flora in the pea family Fabaceae can be found , as that ’s what their caterpillars eat . If you grow peas , Medicago sativa or similar , they ’re certain to drink down up in your yard .
Caterpillar : deal a pestis by Medicago sativa farmers . Smooth and green with a light banding along the side of the body .
About the alfalfa thing : apparently these butterflies used to occur only in the western US . It ’s thought that when humans began big graduated table alfalfa farming in the United States and beyond , this take into account them to thrive their chain of mountains style to the eastern United States .
Clouded sulphur (Colias philodice)
Another beautiful sulfur butterfly species is the clouded sulphur , Colias philodice , which can be differentiated by its yellowish wings ( rather than the orange seen on the said C. eurytheme ) . While they calculate very standardised , the orangish coloration on an orange sulphur is more obvious when it ’s in flight . There ’s also a white form that come in females only , called “ alba ” ( which signify “ white ” in Latin ) .
As with its orange sulphur cousin , the blurred sulphur ’s caterpillars love plants in the pea family . The adults corrode nectar from various other hayfield heyday , includingdandelions , clover , and milkweed . Given how common these are as garden plant , it ’s not hard to attract clouded sulphurs to your yard .
cat : Very standardised to that of C. eurytheme . viridity in colour with a light side stripe , and feeds on plants in the pea phratry .
Figuring out sulfur butterfly history and evolution has proven a bit of a headache for scientist . The species in the genus Colias interbreed and hybridize regularly , get it very unmanageable to calculate out how they ’re interconnected .
Genus Limenitis: the admirals
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
Hold on , is that a monarch butterfly ? Nope ! But if you require to put your butterfly stroke recognition skills to the test , telling a vicereine ( Limenitis achippus ) from a monarch ( Danaus plexippus , discuss under “ Miscellaneous Butterflies ” ) is a middling darn estimable place to start . apart from one little fender band , some yellow dots , and a significant size conflict , they ’re pretty much identical .
The similarity between the viceroy and the sovereign is identify as Müllerian mimicry , which is when two species that are both distasteful to piranha develop similar looks . If a predator attempt to eat a monarch and dislike the taste sensation , it ’s unlikely to try a viceroy after that — and vice versa . This way , both metal money win .
Viceroy butterflies are found in most of the US ( except the westernmost province ) plus parts of Canada and Mexico . They string up out in open field , moist meadows , Rosa Parks , and gardens , where they feed on various flowers , yield , aphid honeydew , dung , and more .
Caterpillar : One of those species that mimic bird poop ( and does so quite effectively , I might add ) . It has two “ antennae ” and feed on Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in the willow tree family unit , which control the salicylic acid that give the species its unpleasant flavor .
There are a few other “ royal ” butterfly that look like monarchs or viceroys . Most notable are the soldier butterfly ( Danaus eresimus ) and the queen butterfly stroke ( D. gilippus ) . In these species ’ ranges , the Limenitis archippus is their co - mimic rather than the monarch ’s .
White admiral (Limenitis arthemis)
One butterfly stroke that ’s particularly comfortable to identify is the bloodless full admiral . Its dark wings with strike whitened band make it jolly hard to overleap ! When the wings are closed , band of orangish spots become visible on the bound .
Found in the northerly state of matter all the way through Canada and up to Alaska , white-hot admiral butterfly like woodland edge and shaded parks . Because they in the main eat on molder yield rather than nectar , they ’re probable to bulge up in your garden if you have yield trees — or you may attract them by go away out a plate of leftover yield .
Caterpillar : Mimics razz poop for aegis . It eats the leaves of trees in the willow kinfolk , especially some type of birch rod .
Red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)
This is the only butterfly on the listing that ’s a subspecies . The red - spotted violet looks so different from the closely refer lily-white admiral that it really does deserve a spot of its own here . It ’s gorgeous to look at and does n’t even seem real with its patterned fender in coloured shades of black and blue .
Like the aforementioned viceroy , the red - spotted purple is a mimic . It ’s not a Müllerian mimicker ( which is poisonous or has an unpleasant preference itself ) , though , but a Batesian mimic . This more common character of apery involves a non - poisonous species evolving to calculate like one thatispoisonous , hope that predators will fall for its visual four flush and leave it alone .
The red - spotty purple imitates the look of the beautiful blue morning coat ( Battus philenor ) , which occurs in the same instinctive range in the southeastern US . It ’s not the only one to do so , either ; various fellow swallowtail ( genus Papilio ) also mimic this mintage , and there ’s even a moth that look pretty similar .
Red - descry purpleness like shaded forest edge . The adult feed on some nectar , but prefer Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree fool and rotting stuff like fruit and carrion . If you have fruit tree diagram , they ’re likely to pass through your yard !
Caterpillar : Typical for the genus , looking like bird droppings . It eats plants in the rose family Rosaceae , including peach and cherry red tree diagram leaves .
The blank full admiral and red - spotted purple ’s natural ranges intersection in the Great Lakes region . Here , hybrids between the two subspecies can be found . There ’s also a third race , but that one only occurs far aside around Arizona and into Mexico .
Miscellaneous butterflies
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
You were belike wondering when I was go to get around to discussing this iconic American coinage . Well , here it is ! love for its extensive migration pattern , the Danaus plexippus butterfly stroke occurs in almost all of the US . It moves from the northerly and central state down to Florida , California , and Mexico in pin . In spring , it goes all the way back up .
The crowned head is very well-heeled to recognize , though as I ’ve mentioned , it does look very similar to its mimic , the smaller viceroy butterfly . It has a wingspan up to 4 inches and is characterized by its orange “ tiger - striped ” wings , which sport a pattern of blank polka dots on the edges .
Caterpillar : Quite similar to that of some swallow-tailed coat , the monarchcaterpillar has a striped patternof pale green , black , and yellow . It can be distinguished by its antennae . It exclusively feeds onmilkweed plantsin the genus Asclepias .
Monarch butterfly ’ shining color signal the fact that they smack direful to most predators . The milkweed the caterpillars use up contain foul - tasting toxin called cardiac glycoside .
Cabbage white (Pieris rapae)
Although the cabbage white is thought to originate from the Mediterranean in Europe , it can now be find throughout much of the world . This include pretty much all of North America . It ’s thought the species ’ monolithic ranch was made potential by the fact that humans now grow and eat cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and broccoli , their host industrial plant , almost everywhere .
Cabbage white are obviously - looking but still easy to recognize . They ’re small , hit a maximum wingspan of just under 2 inches , and blank in color . The extension have black tips that are more pronounced in the male . Two acid ( more pronounced in females ) become seeable when the wings are open .
You ’re very likely to spot moolah whites in your garden , especially if you uprise veggie in the cabbage family . Their caterpillars can be a bit of a pest and are one of the morecommon green caterpillarsfound on leafy crops .
cat : Sometimes screw as the import cabbageworm . It ’s little , green in color and slightly velvety . It can be find on cruciferous plants , sometimes in immense routine that make massive damage to commercially raise crops .
Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
This has got to be one of my personal favorites in terms of look . The bereavement cloak butterfly stroke has reddish - browned wings rim with downhearted dots and a striking cream - colored edge . With a wingspan of up to 4 inch , it ’s quite a head - turner .
coarse in both northern Eurasia and all of North America , particularly the north , the lamentation cloak especially like mountainous habitats . Like some other butterfly species , the adults are n’t very fond of nectar . They opt other sweet treat like tree sap , fallen fruits , and aphid honeydew .
cat : Spiky , black , and with a formula of dark orangish - ruddy dots on its back . It prey on a variety of plant , like willow , elm , and poplar , forming communal nest covered in silk for safety purposes .
Spring azure (Celastrina ladon)
The butterfly genus Celastrina is also known as the bluing or azures . There are many dissimilar species , let in a just number that occur in North America , but the spring azure ( Celastrina ladon ) is in all probability the most common .
establish in most of the US except the Texas area and some of Florida , spring azures are small butterflies that give a maximal wingspread of less than 1 1/2 inch . The wings are a beautiful pale metal Gy to blue in color .
Caterpillar : Compact , ( pale ) green , and distinctly segmented . It like woody shrubs , particularly dogwood .
Along with the said motion chump , cabbage white , and mourn cloak , the spring azure is one of the earliest butterfly . It lean to come along on the very first sunny day of leap .
Common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
Are n’t butterflies with eyespot on their wings just the cool ? Although they ’re meant to confuse and intimidate marauder into thinking the butterfly stroke is large than it really is , they just remind me of peacock feathers . The common forest nymph ( Cercyonis pegala ) , which is a grey - Edward White in color but has take up eyespots , is a great lesson .
Found throughout much of the US except the far southwest , the common wood houri has a whopping 13 race that can all look different ( um , not confusing at all ! ) . The two-fold eyespots on the upper wing stay the same , though .
This species is a sports fan of the nectar of a wide mountain range of unlike sens , including thistles , so it ’s unwashed in field where plant are left to develop wild . It ’s often seen in heart-to-heart woodland , meadow , prairie , and , indeed , our backyards .
Caterpillar : Green in coloring material and very somewhat blurry . It feeds on various species of green goddess .
Common buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Another butterfly species with gorgeous eyespots is the common buckeye ( Junonia coenia ) , which is living test copy that camouflage colors do n’t equal boring . With its banging three spot and an intricate pattern of different ghost of ( orange - ish ) brown , this one ’s quite the looker .
The common buckeye is encounter throughout much of the US , with the exception of the nor'-west . It likes relatively unresolved habitats that feature a variety of bloom to imbibe nectar from . It particularly likes lantana , but will also go for clover and different thistle species .
Caterpillar : Also quite moderately , as far as Caterpillar go . It ’s black and spiky , with elusive sluttish chevron take to the woods along the trunk and some dab of orange . It eats a form of plants , especially those in the plantain tree kinsperson Plantaginaceae .
Cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
harbor on , did n’t we already discuss the atomic number 16 a ways back ? Well , as puzzling as it is , the vulgar name “ sulphur ” is used for orange to jaundiced butterflies in a variety of genera in the folk Pieridae ( which also let in such butterfly as the cabbage white ) . We had a aspect at some species in the genus Colias , but this one , the cloudless sulphur , belongs to the genus Phoebis .
The cloudless sulphur , which is yellow in color with a sprinkling of pallid pink dots , is discover in the Americas as far south as Argentina and all the way of life up to southern Canada . In the US , it ’s mostly common in the southern United States Department of State , although you may be able-bodied to spot it further up north as well . It likes open spaces with some water author and will also visit gardens .
cat : Green to yellowish with a peppering of fine blackened battery-acid . It feature a form of spicy on its sides and can have drear - colored bands . Its best-loved solid food ( clover , senna , and more ) are all in the pea family .
Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Is it a morning coat ? Nope ! Although it has tiny “ dress suit ” on its wings , the gray hairstreak butterfly belongs to a completely dissimilar house of butterfly stroke . Its size gives it away : at a maximum wingspread of no more than 1 1/4 column inch , it ’s pocket-size than even the tiniest swallowtail .
The grey-headed hairstreak butterfly is a striking butterfly to look at , with ashen - rim , gunpowder blueish to gray wing that feature orange floater on the lower part . It ’s very unfussy about habitat , making it plebeian in garden . As long as there are heyday to extract ambrosia from , sooner cannular in shape ( the same form offlowers that attract hummingbird ) , hoary hairstreaks will come .
cat : Compact and more or less blurry . It ’s notably section and can range in coloring material from green to pinkish . Not very specific about food , although it does love life trefoil , mallows , and various mintage in the pea family .
Like most other mintage in the family Lycaenidae , the gray-headed hairstreak admit a special relationship with ants . Their caterpillars excrete gratifying honeydew , and since ants have a substantial fresh tooth , they protect them aggressively . Sometimes they even carry the caterpillar around if they think a particular spot is n’t safe enough !
How to attract butterflies to your garden
If it seems like the butterfly stroke universe in your yard is a bit low-pitched , there are several ways to get more of these wing beauties over for a visit . I cover this in more contingent in myguide to creating a butterfly garden , but the basic matter is to offer them food that ’s well accessible .
It does n’t weigh whether you ’ve flummox large land area or a lilliputian balcony : implant a few weeds and nectar - rich flowers that native butterflies care is a great beginning . try out milkweed , or if you do n’t mind a non - native flora , a butterfly stroke bush ( Buddleia ) . I ’ve acknowledge the ladies ( genus Vanessa ) particularly like the latter .
Do n’t draw a blank the caterpillars either . To allow butterfly to complete their entire life cycle in your yard , you could engraft favorites like milkweed . herbaceous plant like dill weed and fennel are also pop among caterpillars .
by from keeping food generator around , there are mint of little thing you could do . check that there are sunny spots usable for them to perch , clean water in a shallow dish , and mayhap some fruit feeder . Avoid using pesticides and , most importantly , do n’t keep your garden too neat !
origin :
Bitzer , R. J. , & Shaw , K. C. ( 1995 ) . Territorial behavior of the crimson admiral , Vanessa atalanta ( Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae ) I. The role of climatical factors and early interaction frequency on territorial get-go meter . Journal of Insect Behavior , 8 , 47 - 66 .
Dwyer , H. E. , Jasieniuk , M. , Okada , M. , & Shapiro , A. M. ( 2015 ) . Molecular evidence for crossing in Colias ( Lepidoptera : Pieridae ): are Colias hybrids really hybrids ? . Ecology and Evolution , 5(14 ) , 2865 - 2877 .
Marshall , L. ( 1982 ) . Male courtship persistence in Colias philodice and C. eurytheme ( Lepidoptera : Pieridae ) . Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society , 729 - 736 .
Ritland , D. B. , & Brower , L. P. ( 1991 ) . The viceroy butterfly stroke is not a Batesian mimic . Nature , 350(6318 ) , 497 - 498 .
Tabashnik , B. E. ( 1983 ) . boniface range evolution : the duty period from aboriginal legume legion to Medicago sativa by the butterfly , Colias philodice eriphyle . Evolution , 150 - 162 .
