This past year my husband and I added two large flowerbeds to our backyard. These beds are primarily filled with plants that attract butterflies. Both nectar and host plants are available for the butterflies that frequent my place. Below are photos of the butterflies that I have been lucky enough to photograph while they were in my yard.

This Black Swallowtail was the first to emerge from the chrysalides that I had secured from the larva stage. Yearly I plant parsley and dill to attract the female Black Swallowtail so that I can have the opportunity to bring the larvae inside and watch their metamorphosis.

Although this butterfly looks strikingly similiar to the Black Swallowtail, it is not.  This is the Palamedes Swallowtail. It is one of the largest of all the North American butterflies. .
 
 

Gulf Fritillaries are plentiful in my yard because of the seven passionvines that I have growing on my fence. Passionvines are the host plant to the Gulf Fritillary.
 
 

Here's another frequent visitor to my place. The Red-Banded Hairstreak can be seen flitting around the hibiscus which are below the large oak tree. Oak trees are only one of the many host plants for this species.
 
 

This Painted Lady was very difficult to photograph. She did not allow me to get as close to her as other butterflies will. She is shown here on some of my purple coneflowers.
 
 

This Red-Spotted Purple was a first for me. I have been butterfly gardening for three years and this was the first and only time I have had the opportunity to see such a beauty. I will have to remember to always lay out my watermelon rinds so hopefully I will be given the chance to see more.
 
 

Finally, my last photos are of a Horace's Duskywing(left) and a Funereal Duskwing(right). It took some time for me to be able to identify these two little guys. I have seen these species in the past but it wasn't until I was able to take pictures of them that I could accurately identify them.
 

Although these are the only photos I have at the moment, they are by no means the only species of butterflies I have been lucky enough to see in my backyard. In addition to the above, I have also witnessed:

Cloudless Sulphurs
Monarchs
Questions Marks
Red Admirals
Buckeyes
Little Sulphurs
Spicebush Swallowtails
 
 

Butterfly identification was made possible by the books Butterflies of Houston & Southeast Texas by John and Gloria Tveten and Butterfly Gardening of the South by Ajilivsgi.

 

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