Butterflies are here. Which one is your favorite.

Whichever ones visit my garden. I've never tried to learn or keep up with butterfly names, I only know a few. But I thoroughly enjoy them all, whatever their name might be.

Vern

They are all so special to me; I cringe with remorse for hunting, killing, and collecting them as a child so many decades ago. I'm thankful for learning that studying any living thing should be within its natural habitat with as little intrusion as possible.

with the rate of decline of them all in general, im glad to get any of them, even when those brown little skipper butterflies show up.

There are tons of butterflies here. Sometimes I can see at least 20 different ones just looking out the window. Yes,I use pesticides but I only sprinkle it around the seeds I've sown, if the seedlings are eaten by pillbugs before they can grow into plants there will will be nothing for the butterflies/moths to feed on.

I grow milkweed just for the Monarchs and parsley for the swallowtails - I love butterflies !

My all time fave butterflies are the sulphurs, I just LOVE 'em. For years I've been planting plants to encourage them in my garden and little by little they're showing up. I get an incredible amt of pipevine swallowtails and monarchs and some pretty moths.

This message was edited Jun 22, 2015 8:19 PM

I've seen so many Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) in my new place and I'm delighted. In the past I might see 1 or 2 in the entire summer but I see 2+ every day now. It's amazing! Love it.

We have a number of species here and I love them all. That's just the way it is. I'm always thrilled when I see a Monarch ... or any other species in the yard.

This message was edited Jun 23, 2015 6:15 PM

I haven't seen anything but moths yet. My milkweed is ready to bloom and I planted dill and parsley for snacks! I'm hoping for monarchs this year, but I really love them all!

We're having the worst moth season ever - it's miller moths for miles (which makes turning on the grill something of an adventure...) but yesterday, a Viceroy fluttered right past my head; I was charmed.

Put me in the "Anything that visits my garden" camp, for sure.

not sure on types, but love seeing them. This is the first time I've seen this little guy. picture attached.

Favorite is the Zebra Longwing. They love the Jatropha in my garden and I have at least 25 at any one time every morning.

Faay, that's a Pipevine Swallowtail. I grow Dutchman's Pipes just for them.

Thanks Maypop. It was unique and gorgeous so I had to get a picture. :D

I waited all winter for the return of butterflies and moths. I love raising the caterpillars into adults and releasing them, knowing that they were protected from predators or parasites (or parasitoids). I have raised monarchs, eastern black swallowtails, Polyphemus moths, American painted ladies, and several other lesser-known moth species.

I have two large parsley plants growing, which I was pleased to find black swallowtail eggs on. The eggs hatched only a few days ago. The first instar caterpillars are so tiny! I am going to enjoy watching them grow. I also have five mourning cloak caterpillars who are just beginning to pupate, and a whole bunch of baby caterpillars that hatched from blinded Sphinx moth eggs last night.

I see quite a few different butterflies, whether they are visiting my wildflower garden or passing by on the trail I frequent. I hope to continue caring for them throughout the years. It is fun to observe the transformation of different species.

I will post a handful of images of some of the butterflies that I have raised.
Happy gardening.
^__^

No favorites, enjoy what I see wherever I am

Love your pictures, Marcescence! They make me :-)

I planted extra Milkweeds for the Monarchs this year because they are having such a hard time. Years ago we would have dozens come to the yard and last year we barely had any.

I planted loads of dill, fennel and parsley for the black swallowtails too.

We love butterflies visiting the garden--it add another dimension of beauty.

I enjoy any and all butterflies in the garden. I plant the plants they love to lure them here and they come. ☺

Thank you, Joycet! I am glad to make you smile.

My five mourning cloak caterpillars became chrysalises today.
^__^

I planted a butterfly bush last year, and while it has returned and really grown out (much taller than last year), something has been munching away at the leaves...a lot. It seems like almost no leaf is left untouched, but I have not been able to spot any suspects on the plant. Has anyone else had this problem? It is getting ready to bloom, but some of the poor leaves are so riddled with holes that they are limp.

Naturally, I love to see something unusual now and again, but I love them ALL. I especially love to those days when the garden is full of butterflies all fluttering about here and there doing their butterfly thing.

Like Trackinsand, I enjoy the Zebra Longwing (Florida's state butterfly). We also get gulf fritillaries, which deposit their eggs on passionflowers and my adeniums. Those caterpillars eat everything in sight and I spray BT quite often. If I didn't, we'd be overrun with gulf frittilaries. My favorite is still the Zebra Longwing.

Sylvain.

I would have even more Butterflies if I grew Passion flowers but I don't. Haven't found a place yet where it fits with the rest of my garden. Not fond of
Vines, a couple of roses and clematis is all I have. Thinking hard about it though

We are visited by hundreds of Monarchs, Red Admiral & Swallowtails, plus others whose names I am not familiar with ....... must be our Passion Vine which trails along our back fence. In spring the butterflies come, lay their eggs and the ensuing caterpillars completely devour the whole thing down to the branches.But once the caterpillars are grown and gone it comes back in all it's purple glory.

I have a fence section where I could plant passion vine but it's so far from the house I'm not sure they would gravitate closer to the house, or would they? Being selfish here--but the fence is closer to my good neighbor, good but couldn't care less about gardening, butterflies, etc. Don't really want to plant for neighbor's benefit. Awful but true.

Don't get me started! I love all butterflies. I am a Butterfly Gardener, and I am happy with whatever visits, but I am partial to the Gulf Frittilary, and Sulphur Butterflies.
Great photos everyone!
WIB~
SW

My favorites are the Giant Swallowtail that shows up very early in the season in our garden. (I know it's old hat to southerners but for me up north it's a thrill) and the Zebra swallowtails that have formed a little colony on our property.

But I really love them all.

Gotta love swallowtails!

Monarch and Queen butterflies are visiting my flowers ahead of and with this rare August cold front! "It's a good thing!"

I'm so excited! This is my second year of growing milkweed. Last night I spotted 5 Monarch catapillers and today I see 6!!!!

I'm off to the store in a bit for a container for them. I don't want to take the chance they'll be a snack for my many birds!!

Yeah! joycet!

Thought I'd give you an update....I ended up with 11 caterpillars in my first container. Then spotted 13 more on my milkweed, so got a second container. Ended up with 16 in that one. Right now, all 27 are in chrysalides.