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Pipevine Swallowtail
Upper surface of backwing is iridescent blue or blue-green.
Underside of backwing has a row of 7 round orange spots on iridescent blue.
Adult males patrol likely habitat in search of receptive females.
Females lay batches of eggs on underside of host plant leaves.
Caterpillars feed in small groups when young but become solitary when older.
pipevines take nectar from flowers including thistles , bergamot, lilac, viper's bugloss, common azaleas, phlox, teasel, azaleas, dame's-rocket, lantana, petunias, verbenas, lupines, yellow star thistle, California buckeye, yerba santa, brodiaeas, and gilias.
A wide variety of open habitats, open woodland, and woodland edges.
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Spicebush Swallowtail
Upper surface of frontwing is mostly black with
ivory spots .
Upper surface of backwing has orange
spot on margin and sheen of bluish (female) or
bluish-green (male).
Underside of back wing with
pale green spots.
Males patrol in woods, roads and woodland edges to
find receptive females.
Females lay single eggs on
underside of host plant leaves.
Caterpillars live
in shelters of folded-over leaves and come out to
feed at night.These butterflies also hibernate.
Caterpillar food Spicebush ), sassafras trees ;
perhaps prickly ash , tulip tree , sweetbay ,
camphor, and redbay.
Adult food: Nectar from Japanese honeysuckle,
jewelweed, thistles, milkweed, azalea, dogbane,
lantana, mimosa, and sweet pepperbush.
They live in Deciduous woodlands, fields, roadsides,
yards, pine barrens, wooded swamps, and parks.
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Red Spotted Purple
The body of the purple is black. All four wings are a dark blue-green color with bands of white and light blue markings located at the edges of each in sunlight, purple can be observed on all wing surfaces.
On the ventral side are characteristic red markings.
The Red Spotted Purple is 3.1-3.5 inches in width, and 3.3-3.6 inches in height.
The caterpillar feeds on Willow, Poplar, Wild Cherry, Plum, Scrub Oak, and Apple trees.
The butterfly can be found from central New England, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, west to Nebraska, and south to Florida and Texas.
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Mourning Cloak
Mourning Cloaks have Short projections on both
wings, borders irregular.
Upperside is
purple-black with a wide, bright yellow border on
outer margins, and a row of iridescent blue spots
at the inner edge of the border.
Overwintered adults mate in the spring, the males
perching in sunny openings during the afternoon to
wait for receptive females.
Caterpillars live and
feed together on young leaves, then pupate and
emerge as adults in June or July. After feeding,
the adults estivate until fall, when they
re-emerge to feed and store energy for
hibernation.
Some adults migrate south in the
fall.
caterpillars feed on Willows including black
willow, weeping willow, and silky willow; also
American elm, cottonwood, aspen, paper birch , and
hackberry.
Mourning Cloaks prefer tree sap, especially that
of oaks.
They walk down the trunk to the sap and
feed head downward.
They will also feed on rotting
fruit, and only occasionally on flower nectar.
Because Mourning Cloaks roam and migrate, they
are found almost anywhere that host plants occur
including woods, openings, parks, and suburbs.
Mourning Cloaks can be found in All of North
America south of the tundra to central Mexico;
rarely in the Gulf States and peninsular Florida.
Adults live 10-11 months and may be our longest
lived butterfly.
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Comma
Comma's have are Small with short hindwing
projections. Forewing above is brownish-orange
with dark spots; one dark spot at center of bottom
edge.
Hindwing above has two patterns: summer form
is mostly black, winter form is orange with black
spots; both have a dark border containing pale
spots.
Underside is brown; hindwing with a central
silver or white comma which is swollen at both
ends.
Males perch on leaves or tree trunks to watch for
females, flying aggressively to chase other
insects or even birds.
Older caterpillars make
daytime shelters by pulling leaf edges together
with silk.
Caterpillar feed on all members of the elm and
nettle families including American elm, hops,
nettle, false nettle, and wood nettle.
Adult feed on Rotting fruit and tree sap.
Can be found in deciduous woodlands; woods near
rivers, marshes, swamps, and other water sources.
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