Joyful Butterflies - It's Easy To Get Their Attention
Butterflies are so beautiful and wonderful pollinators. It's always a surprise to see one appear and to watch their graceful flight is an absolute blessing.
Watching butterflies is a spectator sport. It's mind blowing to know home many species of butterflies exist in the southwestern United States. It's mind blowing to see how many exist in North America, other regions of the Americas and the rest of the world. Why collect Hot Wheels when you can catch a glimpse of beautiful, delicate butterflies?
There
are particular plants, colors and specific nectar found in flowering plants that will attract butterflies to you property all season long. If you live in southern California or the
Southwestern United States, you can have butterflies all year long if you plant
the right host plants. A host plant is a plant that butterflies will decide to lay their larvae. When the larvae eventually turns into a caterpillar, the host plant will then be their food.
There are other factors in attracting butterflies besides colorful plants. Butterflies are just like people .. we all like specific locations,
climates, colors and groups of people. The color of your plants, the topography
of your property (are you desert, mountain, coastal, forest?), and the climate (is
your property cool, hot or mild?) of your yard can also determine what sort of
butterflies will be attracted to your property and if they’ll lay their larvae.
Different species enjoy hot arid, others enjoy cold or mild climates.
We all know that the climate in the West and
Southwestern U.S. can change daily or have extended periods of hot, dry weather. Extreme weather conditions usually need
specific plants. Look for native plants or plants from similar climates or hardiness zones that will more than likely thrive. Native plants will definitely attract butterflies.
I’m in hardiness zone 9b and I’m
able to add a colorful and hardy plants that are actually native to the Mediterranean. My climate is close to Turkey and Italy. My local nursery usually carries different varieties of butterfly plants from around the world.
Nectar plants or hanging nectar bottles should be set in a sunny spot to
encourage the butterflies to land on them. Most butterflies like to feed where
it’s sunny and in an open space.




Photo
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Butterfly
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Nectar Plants
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Host Plants
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California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
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butterfly bush and overripe fruit
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oaks, especially gambel oak
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Red- spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
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butterfly bush, lantana, and milkweed
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birches, aspen tree, and willow
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Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)
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sap, dung, and occasionally flower nectar
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hackberry and tree Celtis pallida in the elm
family
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Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
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sap, rotting fruit, dung, carrion, and will take
moisture at wet spots along roads and streams
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hackberry and sugarberry
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Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis)
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unkown
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violets
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Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
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Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
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lantana, stachytarpheta, and turnera
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passionvines, morning glories, and turnera
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Mormon Fritillary (Speyeria mormonia)
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goldenrod
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violets
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Nokomis Fritillary (Speyeria nokomis)
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thistles
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viola nephrophylla
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Northwestern Fritillary (Speyeria hesperis)
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gaillardia, rabbitbrush, purple mints, and shrub
cinquefoil
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violets
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Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
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butterfly bush and milkweed
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passion flowers, woodland stonecrop, and violet
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Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonius)
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lantana and shepherd's needle
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passionvine
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
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butterfly bush, blazing stars, milkweed, lantana,
salvia, blood flower, and coreopsis
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milkweed and blood flower
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Queen (Danaus gilippus)
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climbing milkweed, butterfly bush, lantana, zinnia,
and blood flower
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milkweed and blood flower
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American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
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aster, black-eyed Susan, flowering dogwood, dogbane,
and goldenrod
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hackberry and sugarberry
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American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
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aster, milkweed, marigold, verbena, Joe-Pye weed,
goldenrod, and dogbane
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everlastings, daisy family, mallow, ironweed,
sunflower
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Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
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aster, coreopsis, swamp milkweed, and verbena
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snapdragon, verbena, ruellia, swamp verbena, and
plantain family
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Dotted Checkerspot (Poladryas minuta)
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nectar from flowers including yellow composites
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beardtongues in the figwort family
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Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
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flower nectar
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sunflowers, ragweed, crownbeard, and cockleburs
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Arctic Fritillary (Boloria chariclea)
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goldenrods and asters
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violets, scrub willows, and possibly blueberry
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Callippe Fritillary (Speyeria callippe)
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impatiens, passion vine, and hibiscus
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violets
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Edwards' Fritillary (Speyeria edwardsii)
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flower nectar
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violets
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Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija)
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flower nectar
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dwarf bilberry and other plants in the heath
family
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Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
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black-eyed Susan, milkweed, blood flower, passion
flowers,and tall verbena
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violets
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Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene)
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goldenrod, black-eyed Susans
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violets
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Zerene Fritillary (Speyeria zerene)
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unknown
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violets
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Field Crescent (Phyciodes pulchellus)
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flower nectar
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asters
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Fulvia Checkerspot (Chlosyne fulvia)
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flower nectar
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paintbrush
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Green Comma (Polygonia faunus)
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dung and carrion
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small pussy willow, black birch, alder, western
azalea, and gooseberry
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Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
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overripe fruit, tree sap, milkweed, dogbane,
butterfly biush, and zinnia
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elm, aspen, hackberry, birch, and willow
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Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
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dogbane, fleabane, and white clover
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asters
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Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta)
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dogbane, fleabane, and white clover
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asters
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Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
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flower nectar
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field bindweed, aster, and hairy tubetongue
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Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
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aster, blazing stars, butterfly bush, buttonbush,
milkweed, verbena, and zinnia
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hollyhock, shasta daisy, sunflower, and mallow
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Pale Crescent (Phyciodes pallida)
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flower nectar
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thistles
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Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
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aster
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Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
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lippia and composites including shepherd's needle
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dogfruit and mat grass in the verbena family
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Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
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when rotting fruit, tree sap, dung, and carrion are
unavailable do Question Marks visit flowers such as common milkweed, aster,
and sweet pepperbush
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American elm, red elm, hackberry, Japanese hop,
nettles, and false nettle
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Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
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aster, butterfly bush, milkweed, and shasta daisy
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false nettle
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Texas Crescent (Phyciodes texana)
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flower nectar
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honeysuckle, twinseed, and low plants of the acanthus
family: ruellia, jacobina, beloperone, and siphonoglossa
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Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)
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unknown
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flower nectar
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Edith's Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha)
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flower nectar
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sunflower and crosswort
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Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)
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sap
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gooseberries and azalea
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![]() Photo: Walter Siegmund |
Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis)
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sweet everlasting
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currants, gooseberries, western azalea, and mock
azalea
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![]() Photo: Bill Bouton |
flower nectar
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Indian paintbrush
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![]() Photo: D Gordon E Robertson |
Milbert's Tortoiseshell (Aglais milberti)
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lilac, goldenrod, and thistle
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false nettle
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![]() Photo: Ingrid Taylar |
Northern Checkerspot (Chlosyne palla)
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flower nectar
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goldenrod, rabbitbrush, and asters
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![]() Photo: Bill Bouton |
Painted Crescent (Phyciodes picta)
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flower nectar
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field bindweed, aster, and hairy tubetongue
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![]() Photo: Walter Siegmund |
Variable Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona)
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flower nectar
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besseya, penstemon, Indian paintbrush, snowberry,
honeysuckle, and plants from several other families including boraginaceae
and rosaceae
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![]() Photo: Terry Spivey |
West Coast Lady (Vanessa annabella)
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aster, yarrow, and goldenrod
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hollyhock, mallow, false nettle
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![]() Photo: D Gordon E Robertson |
Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
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rotting fruit and flower nectar
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purpletop and other grasses
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![]() Photo: David Bygott |
Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata)
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unkown
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Bermuda grass and St. Augustine grass
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![]() Photo: Walter Siegmund |
Rocky Mountain Parnassian (Parnassius smintheus)
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sedum and asteraceae family
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stonecrop
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![]() Photo: Calibas |
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
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zinnia, aster, and butterfly bush
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dill, fennel, parsley, and Queen Anne's lace
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![]() Photo: Mongo |
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
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butterfly bush, milkweed, red clover, and thistle
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dill, fennel, parsley, and rue
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![]() Photo: Mongo |
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, lantana, azalea,
bougainvilla, bouncing Bet, dame's rocket, goldenrod, Japanese honeysuckle,
and swamp milkweed
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trees and herbs of the citrus family: prickly ash,
hop tree, and common rue
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![]() Photo: Steve L Martin |
Indra Swallowtail (Papilio indra)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, flower nectar
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aromatic herbs of the parsley family growing among
rocks
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![]() Photo: Alves Gaspar |
Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, flower nectar
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rarely plants in the parsley family and sagebrushes:
Arctic wormwood and wild tarragon
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![]() Photo: Kaldari |
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, butterfly bush,
lantana, swamp milkweed, mexican sunflowers, verbena, and petunia
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pipevine
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![]() Photo: Jim Conrad |
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, California buckeye,
yerba santa, and wallflower
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wild cherry, wild plum, coffee berry, ash
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![]() Photo: Jay Williams |
Two- tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, lilac, swamp milkweed,
and thistle
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velvet ash, chokecherry, common hoptree, and
flowering ash
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![]() Photo: Brocken Inaglory |
Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, lavender, zinnia
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flowering ash, aspen tree, willow
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![]() Photo: Stephen Patrick |
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
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scarlet monkeyflower, impatiens, passion vine,
lavender, verbena, aster, cosmos, and oregano
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mustard (cabbage) family, nasturtium, spider flower
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![]() Photo: Bob Peterson |
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, and flower nectar
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senna, cassia, and desert senna
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
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red Mexican bird of paradise, common dogweed,
Labrador tea, asters, wild marigold, and rabbitbrush
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daisy family, dogweed, and low-growing plants in the
aster family: shepherd's needle, sneezeweed, fetid marigoldd, and cultivated
marigold
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe)
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lantana, shepherd's needle, bougainvilla, rose
periwinkle, turk's cap, and hibiscus
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feather tree, and pithecellobium and inga species in
the pea family
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![]() Photo: Megan McCarty |
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana)
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flower nectar
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acacia and diphysa, especially fern acacia
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![]() Photo: Megan McCarty |
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
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aster, common milkweed, and goldenrod
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alfalfa, clovers, related legumes, and white clover
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![]() Photo: Megan McCarty |
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
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alfalfa, coreopsis, houstonia, and verbena.
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small-leaved plants in the pea family: alfalfa;
prairie clovers, indigo, and clover
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Gossamer-wing Butterflies (Family Lycaenidae)
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![]() Photo: Jerry Friedman |
Purplish Copper (Lycaena helloides)
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trailing lantana and sweet bush
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docks, sorrels, and knotweeds
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![]() Photo: Clinton & Charles Robertson |
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
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sweet bush, trailing lantana, milkweed, blood flower,
goldenrod, and Queen Anne's lace
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legumes, hibiscus, hollyhock, passion flowers, and
mallow
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
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sweet bush, trailing lantana, desert broom,
goldenrod, Hercules club, shepherd's needle, sweet pepperbush, and wild plum
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mistletoes
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![]() Photo: Megan McCarty |
Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus)
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sweet bush, trailing lantana, winter cress, dogbane,
common milkweed, wild carrot, shepherd's needle, butterflyweed, and white
sweet clover
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junipers, especially alligator juniper
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![]() Photo: David Bygott |
Leda Hairstreak (Ministrymon leda)
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sweet bush, mesquite, trailing lantana, and
seepwillow
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mesquites
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![]() Photo: Gary Jue |
Boisduval's Yellow (Eurema boisduvalliana)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, false indigo, and
white sweet clover
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senna and cassia species in the pea family
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Caeraunus Blue (Hemiargus isola)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, false indigo, and
white sweet clover
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acacias, kidneywood, and baja fairy duster
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![]() Photo: Bill Bouton |
Greenish Blue (Plebejius saepiolus)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, clovers, and falseindigo
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clovers, especially alsike
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, false indigo, and
white sweet clover
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baja fairy duster, kidneywood, false indigo, members
of the pea family, leadwort, alfalfa, milkvetch, and mesquite
|
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola)
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buckwheat, white clover, and false indigo
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pea family
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![]() Photo: Michael Rosenberg |
Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)
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scruffy prairie clover, cassia, wild indigo, and
white sweet clover
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sennas and shepherd's needle
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![]() Photo: Katja Schulz |
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, dogbane, privet,
blackberry, false indigo, common milkweed, and white sweet clover
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woody shrubs and occasionally herbs: dogwood, New
Jersey tea, meadowsweet, and collinsia
|
|
![]() Photo: Forest & Kim Starr |
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile)
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scruffy prairie clover, buckwheat, false indigo, and
white sweet clover
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pigweed, saltbush species, and others in the
goosefoot family
|
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(Family Riodinidae)
|
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![]() Photo: Anne Toal |
Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis)
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flower nectar
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seepwillow and sometimes virgin's bower
|
|
![]() Photo: Megan McCarty |
Palmer's Metalmark (Apodemia palmeri)
|
flower nectar
|
mesquites
|
|
![]() Photo: Svdmolen |
Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo)
|
eriogonum, buckwheat, and yellow-flowered composites:
senecio and rabbitbrush
|
buckwheat
|
|
![]() Photo: Systasea Zampa |
Arizona Powdered-Skipper (Systasea zampa)
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French marigold
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mallows
|
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![]() Photo: Brocken Inaglory |
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
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white-flowered composites: shepherd's needles,
fleabane, and asters; also French marigold, oregano, sedum "autumn
joy," red clover, knapweed, and beggar's ticks
|
globemallows, mallow, hollyhock, alkali mallows,
velvet-leaf, and poppy mallow, and beggar's ticks
|
|
![]() Photo: David Bygott |
Erichson's White Skipper (Heliopyrgus domicella)
|
French marigold
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mallows
|
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![]() Photo: Northern Prairie Wildlife |
Small Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus scriptura)
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French marigold
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alkali mallow, scarlet globemallow, and desert
globemallow
|
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![]() Photo: Stonebird |
Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum)
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French marigold
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unknown
|
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![]() Photo: Vitaly Charny |
Golden-banded Skipper (Autochton cellus)
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French marigold, trailing arbutus, blackberry,
abelia, and hollyhock
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legumes, New Mexico locust, and hog peanut
|
|
![]() Photo: Bill Bouton |
Violet-clouded Skipper (Lerodea arabus)
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French marigold, bidens, and lantana
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Bermuda grass and green spangletop
|
|
![]() Photo: Eugene Zelenko |
"White" Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus
communis albescens)
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French marigold
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mallows
|
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![]() Photo: Aaron Gunnar |
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
|
nectar from blue, purple, pink, or white flowers
including dogbane, selfheal, crown vetch, Japanese honeysuckle, thistles,
common milkweed, Deptford pink, and hoary vervain
|
legumes, and plants in the pea family: beggar's
ticks, bush clover, clover, and lotus
|
|
Photo: Pbedell |
Golden-headed scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)
|
unknown
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pigweeds and Fremont's goosefoot
|
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Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
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deerweed and California buckwheat
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deerweed, legumes: New Mexican locust, bur clover,
desert ironwood, and vetch
|
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Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
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lupine, golden banner, lotus, and other legumes
|
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Mexican Cloudywing (Thorybes mexicana)
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flower nectar
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clover, wild pea, and vetch
|
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flower nectar
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shadscale
|
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Afranius Duskywing (Erynnis afranius)
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flower nectar
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legumes: deerweed, lupine, and milkvetch
|
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ogbane, marjoram, oxalis, white clover, common
milkweed, peppermint, cucumber, and melon
|
lambsquarters, amaranths, and cockscomb
|
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Dreamy Duskywing (Erynnis icelus)
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lueberry, wild strawberry, blackberry, Labrador tea,
dogbane, New Jersey tea, winter cress, purple vetch, and lupine
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willows, poplars, aspens, and occasionally birch
|
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Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius)
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flower nectar
|
lupine, golden banner, lotus, and other legumes
|
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Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)
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wild azalea, blueberry, blackberry, and dandelion
|
scrub oak and other shrubby oaks
|
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Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
|
aster, ironweed, verbena, milkweed, and woodland
stonecrop
|
grasses, sedges, especially bermuda grass
|
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Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacus)
|
flower nectar
|
side oats grama, Bermuda grass, sideoats grama, and
green spangletop
|
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Dull Firetip (Apyrrothrix araxes)
|
nectar from monarda and baccaris
|
oaks: Arizona blue, emory, and Mexican blue
|
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Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)
|
aster, butterfly bush, and milkweed
|
aspen tree and willow
|
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Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii)
|
sap, snowberry, tree sap, and carrion
|
willow, aspen, cottonwood, ocean spray, and
shadbush
|