Butterflies

This gallery will serve as an evolving guide for butterflies, updated frequently with new photos personally taken by me as I traverse through gardens, woods and meadows. So check back to see what’s new on this page! There are currently about 750 recorded butterfly species in the United States. My goal is to eventually photograph the complete list. So far I’m up to 35. Wish me luck!

Note: Click on one photo in each grouping to pull up a user-friendly slideshow. Specimens will be divided into categories by noticeable primary coloring or prominent accent coloring to provide the novice with an easy visual beginning point of reference. Keep in mind that coloring on the dorsal side (back side seen with wings fully opened) might be different than the ventral side (underside seen with wings fully closed). Start your search with the coloring on the side you are most able to see. Taking a snapshot is always best to not miss the details. Happy hunting!

Orange/Brown

Monarch (Danaus p. plexippus) [Gender UK (ventral)]. The Monarch is a larger butterfly, distinguished by its primarily orange wing coloring, segmented in black veins and finished off by thick, black margins with white spots. The Monarch frequents areas with milkweed, as this is the host plant for its caterpillars. Males and females are easily distinguishable from one another by observing the dorsal side. Males have a visible black spot on the dorsal side of each hindwing. (Location: Nana Coreopsis; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Monarch (Danaus p. plexippus) [Male (dorsal)]. This photo shows the dorsal side of a male Monarch, as distinguished by the two black spots present on the hindwings. These spots do not appear on females. (Location: Gregg’s Blue Mistflower; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Monarch (Danaus p. plexippus) [Female (dorsal)]. This photo shows the dorsal side of a female Monarch. You can see that, unlike the male in the previous photo, there are no black spots present on the hindwings; only dark, solid veins. (Location: Orange Cosmos; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Queen (Danaus gilippus thersippus) [Gender UK (ventral)]. Similar in size and coloring to the Monarch, especially in terms of the thick, black wing margin with white spots, there are noticeable differences. The ventral side of the Queen’s forewing is not segmented, but rather will appear solid orange with white spots. This is also true of the entire dorsal side. It will not have the “stained-glass” segmenting like that of a Monarch. The wings, inside the margins, will appear solid orange with white spots. Males and females are easily distinguishable from one another, just like Monarchs, as males will have a prominent black dot on the dorsal side of each hindwing. (Location: Gregg’s Blue Mistflower; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Queen (Danaus gilippus thersippus) [Female (dorsal)]. This dorsal image shows the absence of dark veins, present in the cousin Monarch. There are also no black spots on the hindwings, indicating that this specimen is a female. The Solider species also appears very similar to the Queen, but will not have the three large linear spots going down the dorsal side of the forewing. (Location: Tropical Milkweed; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2017.)

Viceroy (Limenitis a. archippus) [Male, likely (ventral)]. A Viceroy is a ruler exercising authority on behalf of a sovereign, and that is how this butterfly gets its name…mimicking the larger Monarch species. To the untrained eye, the two can easily be mistaken for one another. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to note the black horizontal line that the Viceroy has on its hindwing. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, except that the female is larger. This is most likely a male, just from observation of its behavior when this photo was taken. Males tend to perch on vegetation, surveying the land and waiting for females. (Location: UK; Koscher Drive, Cedar Hill, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Viceroy (Limenitis a. archippus) [Male, likely (dorsal)]. When comparing this dorsal photo to that of the Monarch, earlier in this slideshow, you can clearly see the distinguishing feature of the black horizontal line on the Viceroy hindwing. (Location: UK; Koscher Drive, Cedar Hill, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Gulf Fritillary (Augralis vanillae incarnata) [Male (dorsal)]. The Gulf Fritillary is a medium to larger-sized brightly colored orange butterfly with dark chocolate veins. Males are typically a brighter more intense orange with less depth in the chocolate markings (as seen here). You will typically see this species near any Passion Flower Vine, as this is its host plant. (Location: Yellow Prairie Coneflower; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gulf Fritillary (Augralis vanillae incarnata) [Female (dorsal)]. This photo shows a female, which is typically less intense in orange coloring and exhibits much more depth in the chocolate markings than males. (Location: Zinnia; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Gulf Fritillary (Augralis vanillae incarnata) [Female (ventral)]. The ventral side of the Gulf Fritillary exhibits some of the orange coloring on the forewings, however most of the ventral side almost has a stained glass appearance in brown and white. This female has just laid a little yellow egg on its host plant, the Passion Flower Vine. (Location: Passion Flower; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gulf Fritillary (Augralis vanillae incarnata) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This photo shows the full closed wing ventral side of the Gulf Fritillary in the brown and white stained glass pattern. Very little orange is visible when the wings are fully closed. (Location: dried flower head; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. This species is mottled in coloring of orange, brown and some gold, with extensive chocolate brown veining. There are dark spots along the wing margins, and the hindwings are scalloped. It is similar to the Gulf Fritillary, but much more extensively marked and is a slightly smaller butterfly. It is also easily confused with the Mexican Fritillary, but that species has a large black spot in each veined section along the margins, whereas the Variegated only has three noticeable black spots on each wing. It is difficult to distinguish males from females, without observing the abdomen or seeing a pair together, as females are usually slightly larger than males. (Location: Yellow Cosmos; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This photo shows the ventral side of this species. When the wings are fully closed, the banded coloring resembles a dead leaf. (Location: Yellow Cosmos; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria) [Male (dorsal)]. The dorsal side of the male here appears primarily solid orange with matching dashes on the forewings. The dorsal side of the female does not appear solid in coloring, but rather has a definitive pattern in oranges, browns and golds. (Location: mulch path; Texas Discovery Gardens, Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. The Question Mark is a medium-sized orange and brown butterfly with noticeable black spots, especially on the forewings. The wings are very angular, with very few margin areas that are rounded. It is very close is size and description to the Eastern Comma, so the two can be confused. On the dorsal side, however, the forewing has a large black dash with four black spots outside of that, whereas the Eastern Comma only has three black spots. Also, the hindwings have much longer pointed tails than those of the Eastern Comma. (Location: Potting bench; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) [Gender UK (ventral)]. On the ventral side of the Question Mark, shown here, the butterfly appears a dingy brownish-grey. The wings are very angular, with very few margin areas that are rounded. On the ventral side, the hindwing has a crescent-shaped white mark with a dot underneath it (the question mark). The similar Eastern Comma species has a crescent-shaped white marking but NO dot (looks like a comma). Also, the hindwings of the Question Mark have much longer pointed tails than those of the Eastern Comma. (Location: Passion Vine; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) [Gender UK (ventral)]. The American Lady is very similar in markings to the Painted Lady. On the dorsal forewing, however, the American Lady has a tiny white spot in the postmedian area of the wing. Then, on the ventral side, the American Lady has two large eye spots on the hindwing (which you can see in this photo), whereas the Painted Lady has four smaller eye spots. Males only differ from females in having a smaller abdomen. (Location: Dandelion; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2020.)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. This species is a medium-sized butterfly, primarily black in coloring but with striking orange bands that can almost appear red in newly hatched butterflies. Males and females are indistinguishable, except that the female is larger in size. This is a territorial species, and females are most attracted to males that can hold their territory well. Don’t be surprised if a Red Admiral lands on your shoulder or even your finger! They are known to be very social and often called a “people” butterfly. (Location: Stone landscape border; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) [Gender UK (ventral)]. The Red Admiral is one of the species that I like to call a “surprise” butterfly, because it closes its wings to reveal an amazingly intricate pattern that is completely different than the dorsal side. You can even see hints of blue markings, especially on the forewings, when the sunlight catches it just right. With wings closed, three white spots are also very prominent on the forewings. This species is in a subfamily known as True Brushfoots. This is because their forelegs are frequently hairy and they also only have 4 functional, walking, legs. You can see this Red Admiral perched on just its 4 functional legs. Also fun to note in this photo is the extended proboscis. This little butterfly was getting a drink from a droplet of water on the stone. (Location: Stone landscape border; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

American Snout (Libytheana bachmanii or carinenta) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. This butterfly is easily identified by its unique elongated mouthparts that look like a long nose. You can also see that the forewings have a more squared-off shape on the edge. This particular specimen was photographed resting on the end of a Boxwood branch, so you can see that it is a smaller-sized butterfly. Males and females are not easily distinguishable from one another, without examining the abdomen. (Location: Boxwood; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

American Snout (Libytheana bachmanii or carinenta) [Female, likely (ventral)]. The ventral side of this species is mottled in browns and grays, but still with orange appearing on the forewing, making it mimic a dead leaf when hanging upside down…excellent camouflage! This is likely a female, based on what appears to be a slight swell in the abdomen. (Location: Yellow Cosmos; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

American Snout (Libytheana bachmanii or carinenta) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. This photo shows the dorsal side of this species with wings fullly open. In the fall of 2018, an explosion of Snouts hit North Texas. This photo was taken during that period on November 1. (Location: Yellow Cosmos; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes t. tharos) [Female (dorsal)]. This species is distinctive by the crescent shaped pattern on the margin of the wings and a singular pearl-colored crescent on the ventral side of the hindwing. Females generally have a more detailed pattern on the dorsal side, which also includes a solid marginal black line just above the dots on the hindwing, breaking up the orange area. In males, this orange area often appears solid. (Location: Wild Blackberry; Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Common Buckeye (Junonia c. coenia) [Female, likely (dorsal)]. The Common Buckeye is a medium-sized butterfly easily recognizable by it’s large “eye” spots on both the forewing and hindwing. If you look closely, the Buckeye will reveal colors in orange and purple, particularly double orange dashes on the forewings, along with a noticeble cream-colored band across the middle of the forewing. This is likely a female, because the females have larger spots and their forewings tend to appear more rounded at the tips. (Location: Nana Coreopsis; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Common Buckeye (Junonia c. coenia) [Male, likely (ventral)]. You can also recognize this species by a very large singular “eye” on the ventral side of the forewing (as seen here). You will also see a double dash in orange on the same forewing, along with a noticeble cream-colored band across the middle. This is likely a male, because the edge of the forewing appears to be more angular and less rounded. (Location: Frostweed; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) [Female likely (ventral)]. This species is one of the most recognized skippers in North America, likely because of the easy to notice white splotch on the ventral side of the hindwing. You can also easily notice an orange splotch on the ventral side of the forewing. Males and females are visually virtually the same. This is most probably a female due to the swollen abdomen. (Location: Brazilian Verbena; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This butterfly is almost black with cream to yellow and orange markings. It can actually have variable coloring from butterfly to butterfly, but the ventral hindwing will usually have a cream-colored median band and an orange-red spot will be easily visible at the tornus, the posterior corner of the wing. Males and females are not easily distinguishable. It is somewhat of a stray in the Dallas area, where this photograph was taken. Perhaps a long travel contributed to the wing damage on this specimen. (Location: Fennel; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus p. philenor)[Male (ventral)]. The Pipevine Swallowtail is named for the fact that it’s only caterpillar host plant is the Dutchman’s Pipe Vine. It is a large butterfly, easily noticeable by its black coloring and orange spots in a “horseshoe” pattern on the ventral hindwing. The dorsal hindwings in males appear a striking iridescent blue, where females appear in more of a black to dull blue coloring. (Location: Standing Phlox; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris huron) [Male (ventral)]. The Sachem is a small butterfly and one of the species of Grass Skippers. Grass Skippers are unique in how they sit on a flower. They often lay their hindwings flat and then their forewings upright at a 45-60 degree angle, looking like little jets sitting on an aircraft carrier. Females are more brown in coloring, but males, like the one shown here, are primarily orange-gold with brown accents. When you catch them in the sunlight, their furry bodies show a greenish-blue tint. (Location: Coneflower; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris huron) [Female (partial dorsal]. The Sachem is a small butterfly and one of the species of Grass Skippers. Grass Skippers are unique in how they sit on a flower. They often lay their hindwings flat and then their forewings upright at a 45-60 degree angle, looking like little jets sitting on an aircraft carrier. Females are more brown in coloring with orange accents and cream-colored spots. When you catch them in the sunlight, their furry bodies show a greenish-blue tint. (Location: Frostweed; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris huron) [Female (ventral)]. This photo shows the complete underside of the female. The dorsal side can be seen in the previous photo. (Location: Frostweed; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris huron) [Female (ventral)]. Here is another photo showing ventral markings a little more clearly. (Location: Pink Primrose; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2020.)

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) [Female]. The Fiery Skipper is a small butterfly and one of the species of Grass Skippers. This species is very noticeable for its leopard-like spotted pattern on the ventral side. Females are more brown in coloring on the dorsal side than males, but will have a distinctive orange marking in three adjoining dashes near the tip of the forewing. This can also be seen on the underside of the wing. (You can see the dashes on both sides of the wing in this photo). (Location: Zinnia; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) [Female and Male]. This photo shows the color distinction between males and females. The female in front is a more dull, brown color and the male in back is a more golden, orange color. (Location: Carnival Lantana; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) [UK]. Duskywings are part of the Skipper Family, and this species is recognizable by the white fringe on the hindwings. It is similar to the Mournful Duskywing, also white-fringed, however the Mournful typically exhibits a more mottled pattern in warm brown tones, whereas the Funereal has more uniformity in cooler brown tones. Males and females are not easily distinguishable from one another in the field. The Mournful species is also not typically present in the location where this photo was taken. (Location: Wild Blackberry; Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola) [Female]. Blues are small butterflies in the same family as Hairstreaks, however they lack the wispy tails that Hairstreaks have. On the dorsal side of this species, the male will appear mostly blue but the female will appear largely brown with only blue on the basal area of the wings and body. (Location: Bermuda Grass; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius) [UK]. (Location: Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall 2018.)

Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius) [UK]. (Location: Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall 2018.)

Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius) [Male]. (Location: Mexican Sunflower; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.]

Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius) [Female]. (Location: Wild Morning Glory; White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.]

Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) [Female]; (Location: Frostweed; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Yellow/Gold

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) [Gender UK]. Sulphurs are medium-sized butterflies, most of which will have some form of yellow coloring. The Orange Sulphur can be distinguished from the Clouded Sulphur, which is similar, by the orange tint approaching the basal area of the forewing. This species is also distinguishable from the similar Southern Dogface, which has very pointed tips on the forewings instead of rounded edges, as seen here. The dorsal side of the Orange Sulphur will show the distinction between males and females, however this butterfly was too fast for me to identify the gender. (Location: Pink Primrose; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) [Gender UK]. This photo shows a more complete ventral side of this species. You can’t see the orange tint near the basal area that well, but it was present in other other photos from this same series. (Location: Orange Cosmos; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)[Male]. (Location: Brazilian Verbena; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe) [Male]. (Location: Cosmos; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe) [Male]. (Location: In Flight; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) [Male]. Often when caught in the sunlight, this species will appear more golden than orange. For more detailed information on this species, see the “Orange” gallery above. (Location: fallen branch; White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Little Yellow (Pyrisitia l. lisa) [Gender UK]. The Little Yellow is a small Sulphur butterfly that appears almost completely yellow on the ventral side, except for a few markings. It looks similar to the Sleepy Orange, however it is about half the size and will have no orange shading. Markings on the dorsal side indicate whether or not the specimen is male or female. The body of the Little Yellow will appear white and furry. (Location: Horsemint; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia) [Male]. (Location: Firecracker Penstemon; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia) [Male]. (Location: Firecracker Penstemon; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Blue

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio g. glaucus) [Female, dark form]. Not apparent in this photograph are matching orange spots at the very top of the hindwings on the dorsal side. They happened to be covered by the forewings in this photograph. The male form of this species appears yellow with tiger-like stripes. In addition to the dark female form, there is also a female yellow form that is similar to the male in coloring and pattern. (Location: Pear Tree; Moss Lake Lodge, Lake Bridgeport, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio g. glaucus) [Female, dark form]. Ventral side showing orange spots on the hindwings and faint black tiger stripes at the top on the forewings. (Location: Pear Tree; Moss Lake Lodge, Lake Bridgeport, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola) [Female]. Blues are small butterflies in the same family as Hairstreaks, however they lack the wispy tails that Hairstreaks have. On the dorsal side of this species, the male will appear mostly blue but the female will appear largely brown with only blue on the basal area of the wings and body. (Location: Bermuda Grass; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido c. comyntas) [UK]. (Location: Hairy Vetch; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki) [UK]. (Location: Zinnia; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) [Gender UK (ventral)]. The Red Admiral is one of the species that I like to call a “surprise” butterfly, because it closes its wings to reveal an amazingly intricate pattern that is completely different than the dorsal side. You can even see hints of blue markings, especially on the forewings, when the sunlight catches it just right. With wings closed, three white spots are also very prominent on the forewings. This species is in a subfamily known as True Brushfoots. This is because their forelegs are frequently hairy and they also only have 4 functional, walking, legs. You can see this Red Admiral perched on just its 4 functional legs. Also fun to note in this photo is the extended proboscis. This little butterfly was getting a drink from a droplet of water on the stone. (Location: Stone landscape border; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus p. philenor)[Male (ventral)]. The Pipevine Swallowtail is named for the fact that it’s only caterpillar host plant is the Dutchman’s Pipe Vine. It is a large butterfly, easily noticeable by its black coloring and orange spots in a “horseshoe” pattern on the ventral hindwing. The dorsal hindwings in males appear a striking iridescent blue, where females appear in more of a black to dull blue coloring. (Location: Standing Phlox; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Green

Olive Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus castalis) [Male]. I only know this subject to be a male because I caught a partial photo of the dorsal side of the wings. Males will exhibit a tawny-bronze coloring on the dorsal side, whereas females with be more blackish-brown. The underside, however, is the same on both. (Location: Wild Blackberry; Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gray

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki) [Male]. Hairstreaks are tiny butterflies known for the wispy tails on their hindwings. When this species opens its wings in the sunlight, the dorsal side appears to be a deeper slate gray with a blueish sheen. Note that this is a male by the orange coloring on its abdomen. Female abdomens are solid gray. (Location: White Clover; White Rock Lake, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus franki) [UK]. (Location: Zinnia; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido c. comyntas) [UK]. (Location: Mouse-Eared Coreopsis; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola) [UK]. (Location: Spanish Lavender; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

White

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis) [UK]. Duskywings are part of the Skipper Family, and this species is recognizable by the white fringe on the hindwings. It is similar to the Mournful Duskywing, also white-fringed, however the Mournful typically exhibits a more mottled pattern in warm brown tones, whereas the Funereal has more uniformity in cooler brown tones. Males and females are not easily distinguishable from one another in the field. The Mournful species is also not typically present in the location where this photo was taken. (Location: Wild Blackberry; Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis) [Female]. Males will tend to have broader white bands on the dorsal side than like the female shown here. The body of both will be blueish-gray. Most skippers tend to have a fuzzy body, as easily seen in this photo. This species is very similar to the White Checkered-Skipper, but that species is not common to the location of where this photo was taken. (Location: Wild Blackberry; Dinosaur Valley State Park, Glen Rose, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis) [Male]. (Location: Orange Cosmos; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Checkered White (Pontia protodice) [UK]. (Location: Butterfly Weed; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) [Female likely (ventral)]. This species is one of the most recognized skippers in North America, likely because of the easy to notice white splotch on the ventral side of the hindwing. You can also easily notice an orange splotch on the ventral side of the forewing. Males and females are visually virtually the same. This is most probably a female due to the swollen abdomen. (Location: Brazilian Verbena; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Gulf Fritillary (Augralis vanillae incarnata) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This photo shows the full closed wing ventral side of the Gulf Fritillary in the brown and white stained glass pattern. Very little orange is visible when the wings are fully closed. (Location: dried flower head; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) [Female]. (Location: Zinnia; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2018.)

Common Buckeye (Junonia c. coenia) [Male, likely (ventral)]. You can also recognize this species by a very large singular “eye” on the ventral side of the forewing (as seen here). You will also see a double dash in orange on the same forewing, along with a noticeble cream-colored band across the middle. This is likely a male, because the edge of the forewing appears to be more angular and less rounded. (Location: Frostweed; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Fall, 2018.)

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This butterfly is almost black with cream to yellow and orange markings. It can actually have variable coloring from butterfly to butterfly, but the ventral hindwing will usually have a cream-colored median band and an orange-red spot will be easily visible at the tornus, the posterior corner of the wing. Males and females are not easily distinguishable. It is somewhat of a stray in the Dallas area, where this photograph was taken. Perhaps a long travel contributed to the wing damage on this specimen. (Location: Fennel; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Black

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio g. glaucus) [Female, dark form]. Not apparent in this photograph are matching orange spots at the very top of the hindwings on the dorsal side. They happened to be covered by the forewings in this photograph. The male form of this species appears yellow with tiger-like stripes. In addition to the dark female form, there is also a female yellow form that is similar to the male in coloring and pattern. (Location: Pear Tree; Moss Lake Lodge, Lake Bridgeport, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio g. glaucus) [Female, dark form]. Ventral side showing orange spots on the hindwings and faint black tiger stripes at the top on the forewings. (Location: Pear Tree; Moss Lake Lodge, Lake Bridgeport, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius) [Male]. (Location: Nana Coreopsis; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Eastern Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius) [Male]. (Location: Nana Coreopsis; Belmont Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2018.)

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. This species is a medium-sized butterfly, primarily black in coloring but with striking orange bands that can almost appear red in newly hatched butterflies. Males and females are indistinguishable, except that the female is larger in size. This is a territorial species, and females are most attracted to males that can hold their territory well. Don’t be surprised if a Red Admiral lands on your shoulder or even your finger! They are known to be very social and often called a “people” butterfly. (Location: Stone landscape border; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus p. philenor)[Male (ventral)]. The Pipevine Swallowtail is named for the fact that it’s only caterpillar host plant is the Dutchman’s Pipe Vine. It is a large butterfly, easily noticeable by its black coloring and orange spots in a “horseshoe” pattern on the ventral hindwing. The dorsal hindwings in males appear a striking iridescent blue, where females appear in more of a black to dull blue coloring. (Location: Standing Phlox; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix) [Gender UK (ventral)]. This butterfly is almost black with cream to yellow and orange markings. It can actually have variable coloring from butterfly to butterfly, but the ventral hindwing will usually have a cream-colored median band and an orange-red spot will be easily visible at the tornus, the posterior corner of the wing. Males and females are not easily distinguishable. It is somewhat of a stray in the Dallas area, where this photograph was taken. Perhaps a long travel contributed to the wing damage on this specimen. (Location: Fennel; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Viceroy (Limenitis a. archippus) [Male, likely (ventral)]. A Viceroy is a ruler exercising authority on behalf of a sovereign, and that is how this butterfly gets its name…mimicking the larger Monarch species. To the untrained eye, the two can easily be mistaken for one another. The easiest way to distinguish the two is to note the black horizontal line that the Viceroy has on its hindwing. Males and females are virtually indistinguishable, except that the female is larger. This is most likely a male, just from observation of its behavior when this photo was taken. Males tend to perch on vegetation, surveying the land and waiting for females. (Location: UK; Koscher Drive, Cedar Hill, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Viceroy (Limenitis a. archippus) [Male, likely (dorsal)]. When comparing this dorsal photo to that of the Monarch, earlier in this slideshow, you can clearly see the distinguishing feature of the black horizontal line on the Viceroy hindwing. (Location: UK; Koscher Drive, Cedar Hill, Texas. Summer, 2019.)

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) [Gender UK (dorsal)]. The Question Mark is a medium-sized orange and brown butterfly with noticeable black spots, especially on the forewings. The wings are very angular, with very few margin areas that are rounded. It is very close is size and description to the Eastern Comma, so the two can be confused. On the dorsal side, however, the forewing has a large black dash with four black spots outside of that, whereas the Eastern Comma only has three black spots. Also, the hindwings have much longer pointed tails than those of the Eastern Comma. (Location: Potting bench; Belmont Addition Conservation District, Dallas, Texas. Spring, 2019.)

Powered by WordPress.com.