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Zabulon Skipper
Zabulon Skipper Skippers are a butterflies with small angular wings and large bodies. The name “Skipper” comes from their rapid darting flight. I photographed this one today feeding on a wild indigo...
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Butterflies are back!
Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele I’m happy to report that the butterflies are back. The drought two years ago really knocked them back but I’m seeing lots of them now. This is a Great...
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Tiger Swallowtail
Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus The butterfly weeds started to bloom today and it’s easy to see how the orange flowered plant got it’s name; it’s a butterfly magnet! Here you can see a Tiger...
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Giant Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes This butterfly lives up to it’s name; it’s huge! With a wingspread of over 6-inches it’s the largest butterfly in all of North America. I photographed this one...
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Clouded Sulphur
Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice. This is one of the most common butterflies at the Prairie Garden Trust and much of America; you can even find them in Alaska. Here it is feeding on one of it’s host...
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Tiger Swallowtail
Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus With ideal moisture and temperatures the prairie plants are especially lush this year. That means lots of flowers and lots of butterflies. I photographed this...
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Milkweeds for Monarchs
Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus, Chip Taylor at Monarch Watch promotes planting Milkweeds as a way to help save the Monarchs. This afternoon I had a chance to observe first hand why he suggests...
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Swallowtail on Sunflower
Rosinweed, Silphium integrifolium As summer progresses I find it increasingly difficult to identify the confusing mix of sunflowers. Books such as “Ozark Wildflowers” by Don Kurz really help. The...
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Buckeye Butterfly
Late summer asters are the best place to find butterflies right now. The flowers are scattered all along the paths in the prairie. This afternoon I found this Common Buckeye feeding on New England...
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Painted Lady
Painted Lady ButterflyOnly 4 kinds of butterflies were identified on the PGT Butterfly Walk this afternoon; a record low. The problem was that it was cold, cloudy and there was a drizzly rain....
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