Southwest Butterfly House Informational Booklet AT
Monarch Wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange and white pattern. Adults make massive migrations from Aug-Oct, flying 1000 s of miles south to hibernate along the Ca. Coast and Central Mexico. No 1 monarch makes the entire trip at least 5 generations are involved in the annual cycle. At some wintering sites, millions of butterflies roost together in trees. Monarchs were transported to the International Space Station and were bred there. Range: Southern Canada south to South America. Also present in Australia and Hawaii. Queen Moderately large butterfly sometimes mistaken for monarchs. The queen has a darker, brown ground color. Boasts a very tough and flexible chitinous exoskeleton unlike most other butterflies. The queen butterfly is unpalatable to predators because of toxic compounds from favorite food milkweed. Range: Extreme southern United States south to Argentina. American Black Swallowtail Upper surface of wings is black with 2 rows of yellow spots larger and brighter in males than in females. Females are slightly larger than males and mimics the foul tasting Pipevine Swallowtail. Range: Southern Canada to South America. Giant Swallowtail This striking butterfly is the largest in Canada and US with wingspan of 4-6.5 inches. Body and wings are dark brown/black with yellow bands. There is a yellow eye in each wing tail. Range: Eastern US west to Rocky Mountains south through desert SW to South America
Monarch, Queen and Viceroy butterflies closely resemble one another. Here are some key differences to help with identification. Monarch and Queen caterpillars both feed on milkweed which makes them unpalatable to predators. All 3 species use their bright orange coloration to warn away predators, but the Viceroy is a mimic. Viceroys resemble Monarchs in the north and Queens in the south. Notice black line crossing Viceroy postmedian wing which is absent from the Monarch. Queens and Monarchs are easier to distinguish from upper wing patters as the Queens are a darker shade of orange and lack the black veining on upper wings. Trickier with wings closed, but Queens lack the black veins on upper wings and have white spots on their lower wings. Monarch s underwings are much paler than the Queens.
Zebra Longwing Boldly striped black and white wing pattern warns off predators. Adults roost communally at night in groups of up to 60 for safety. The medium sized adults are unusual in feeding on pollen as well as nectar. Range: Extreme Southern US south to South America. Also West Indies. American Snout Snout Butterflies have prominent mouthparts which give the appearance of the stem of a dead leaf which when hanging upside down makes them nearly invisible. Wings are patterned brownblack with orange and white markings. Range: Only snout in North America. Argentina north to Southern US and West Indies. Migrates to Central Ca., Southern Nevada, Colorado and Viceroy Wings feature an orange and black pattern and is a mimic of the monarch and queen butterflies. It can be distinguished from the monarch by it s smaller size and the postmedian black line that runs across the veins on the hindwing. Range: NW Territories south along eastern edges of Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central Mexico. Also eastern United States. Cloudless Sulphur Large, active yellow butterflies. Caterpillars are green or yellow depending on the colors of the host plant. Range: Argentina north to Southern United States.
Gulf Fritillary Medium to large orange butterfly with long, narrow wings in comparison with other butterflies. Takes common name from migration over the Gulf of Mexico. Range: South America north to Southern United States. Hackberry Emperor Reddish brown butterfly flies in a fast, erratic manner and rests upside down on tree trunks. Young caterpillars feed communally and overwinter in groups gathered inside dead rolled Hackberry tree leaves. Range: Eastern US, Central Plain states, Southwest Mts into Northern Mexico. Red Spotted Purple Features red spots on its underside and tops of wings are notable for their iridescent blue markings. It is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. Range: Southwest, Midwest and Eastern United States. Red Admiral This medium sized butterfly is identified by its striking brown, red and black wing pattern. Has very erratic, rapid flight. Range: North America, Asia and temperate Europe.
Checkered White Males are bright white, females are dusky white darker than males. Common in disturbed or agricultural areas. Range: Permanent resident in Southern United States and Northern Mexico. Temporary resident in Northern US and Southern Canada. Mourning Cloak Large, unique butterfly that lives 10-11 months, one of the lonest living butterflies. Range: All of North America south of the tundra to Central America. Also native to temperate Eurasia.
American Painted Lady Medium sized, orange brown with black margins and white spots. Underneath wing color is a beautiful combo of pink, brown, olive, black and white. Can be told apart from Painted Lady by the tiny white spot in the postmedian area of the forewing. (spot not present on Painted Lady) Range : Southern Canada south to South America, occasionally in Europe, Hawaii and Caribbean. Painted Lady Most widely distributed butterfly in the world. Large butterfly identified by the black and white corners of it s mainly deep orange, blackspotted wings. Underside gray with white and red markings. Migrant butterfly; migration is erratic and may be tied to weather patterns. Range: All continents except Australia and Antarctica.