Summer Butterflies

Well, I spent a few hours pouring over butterfly pictures to see if I could ID this little friend, and no, I was left with even more questions and a lot of confusion. There is so much detail in identifying different species, my head was spinning. I still don’t have a positive ID on this one, but the chart below might help you in understanding why. When I went to look up Latin names to narrow my search, I was left in even more mix up. I know now why these animals are so intriguing to collectors. I’ve managed to narrow down some categories within this type- mainly fritillaries or speyeria. Now, take a moment to go down your own rabbit hole with this quandary and let me know what you find.

It’s also quite difficult sometimes to film/photograph these small flyers, especially to catch all the detail needed to identify. I do have a lot of fun trying to capture and image, but they often come out fuzzy at best. Since this is a mere hobby for me, I’m not questing for perfect images, but it’s can be a heck of a challenge to go back and look at these images later to try to pick out the traits of each one. Luckily, the specimen below has some specific patterns and coloration that give it away- Morning Cloak Butterfly. Why so easy? Because of the band of yellow on the outside and solid black center, it’s unique and bold.

Paying attention to the smaller members of our natural world says a lot about the resiliency of a place. One of the most important habitat needs for butterflies is pollinator plants. They are also attracted to water, and need access to moisture, even a muddy seep is enough. You’ll often see them on the edge of ponds, or in the trees next to streams. At this point in later summer, I was seeing most of my butterflies up in the mountains, where flowers are in full bloom, months behind the lowlands where our farm and forest grow. In early July, I saw a lot more utter flies in the lowlands, mostly swallowtail. Now, the white cabbage month dominates, with an occasional morning cloak. I don’t have pictures of these, but glimpses come from time to time, and I’m thankful to still see these beautiful creatures on the wing.