The Magnificent Monarch Butterfly

Here I go again - another installment of my 2011 butterfly series (also see my posts on the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Variegated Fritillary). Today, it's my photos and new-found knowledge of the Monarch Butterfly - hope you enjoy :) About the Monarch Butterfly With an easily recognizable black and orange wing pattern (3.5-4" wingspan), the monarch butterfly is perhaps the most well known of all North American butterflies. Though they feed on a variety of nectar plants, milkweed is the plant of choice for monarch butterflies. In fact, adult females lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves (which hatch in 3-12 days) and after birth, milkweed becomes the exclusive diet of the monarch caterpillars. A butterfly of distinction What makes the monarch butterfly distinct is that - similar to birds - it's the only butterfly to make lengthy migrations north & south annually. But, unlike birds, NO ONE monarch butterfly makes the complete trip. It takes 3 to 4 generations to complete the journey cycle. The first three generations live just 2 to 6 weeks each while making the trek northward. The last generation lives up to nine months, and are responsible for re-migrating to the same spot every year - south to Mexico, Texas or parts of Florida. Adapted from original Wikipedia Commons photo by authors Harald Süpfle & Wiz9999 The great unknown The big mystery to scientists is how the species returns to the SAME spots each Fall (to overwinter). It is believed that the flight patterns of monarch butterflies are either inherited, or the butterflies use other natural forms of navigation, such as the positioning of the sun. Top image is Monarch Butterfly in Caterpillar stage. Bottom two images are closeups of butterfly torso area. Love of flight While monarch butterflies travel extraordinary lengths - up to 3,000 miles to overwinter, they have also utilized their strong flying skills to fly elsewhere. In fact, they are one of the few insects capable of crossing the Atlantic ocean. In Bermuda, for example, they are becoming increasingly common as humans are more and more growing milkweed as an ornamental plant in their flower gardens. If wind conditions are just right, some years find the monarch butterflies as far away as Great Britain. These beautiful butterflies are extremely common and far from endangered. Staying alive Unlike many other butterflies, the monarch butterfly is toxic (due to its milkweed diet) and distasteful to birds and other mammals - helping preserve survival of the species. It's believed that the bright colors of both the caterpillar and the adult's wings serve as natural warning colors to predators. Final words Like all insects the Monarch has six legs, however it uses only four of its legs as it carries its two front legs against its body. Adult males will frequently gather in and around damp soil or wet gravel in an activity called 'mud-puddling.'

Timeout To Enjoy The Variegated Fritillary Butterfly

Well it seems like suddenly I've become a butterfly enthusiast and photographer. After all, last week I posted about my experiences with the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. Truth is, blogging has made me keep my camera nearby & thus - much to my amazement - I seem to notice and enjoy things that I've overlooked in the past. I don't wake up and say "hey, I'm gonna go out & photograph butterflies today." Rather, they somehow just seem to find me. This week, another beautiful butterfly caught my eye. After researching I thought I'd stumbled upon the Great Spangled Fritillary (similar), but it turns out to actually be a Variegated Fritillary. While also residing in many parts of South America, this beautiful butterfly is primarily seen in the eastern 3/4 of the continental United States (with the exception of the extreme north-central & northeast). Caterpillar/Range Map The mid-sized & nomadic Variegated Fritillary Butterfly is a much lighter brown-orange than other Fritillaries, such as the Great Spangled Fritillary. They are low & swift flyers. Difficult to approach and easily scared, I considered it a privilege to capture this butterfly on camera (though it did take a lot more patience than my experience with the more relaxed Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly last week). Living from around April through October (slightly shorter life farther north), these Fritillaries usually have between 2-3 broods per year. These butterflies love open fields and meadows, sunny prairies & pastures, and can be seen along road edges and near landfills. They'll also frequent their favorite nectar food sources, including milkweed, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, thistles, alfalfa, butterflyweed, fleabane, common boneset, coneflowers, asters and more. Finally, Variegated Fritillaries are not a threatened species globally, but may be considered a minor pest to ornamental pansies and violets.

Up Close & Personal With the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

It's always good to have your camera nearby, and it's even better when it has a macro function (ability to take extreme clear closeup images). Though I've probably seen a million of these beautiful butterflies in my lifetime, for some reason I've never had an inclination to look at one of these at close range. Yesterday, for some odd reason, I became fixated on this eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly. And I decided to start a little photo shoot. As usual, after taking my pictures, I went inside to "develop" (download & edit) my digital photographs and do research on this common, yet remarkably beautiful butterfly. All my life I had simply known & described this butterfly as large, colorful, and/or beautiful without ever knowing its name. With a little online research I come to find that it's called the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly. "Eastern," because it's a native butterfly primarily found in the eastern United States (see range map below). "Tiger," because of the distinct tiger-like markings, especially found on the male. "Swallowtail," because their long "tail" on their hind wings is similar to that of swallows (birds). The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (known scientifically as papilio glaucus) is not considered to be a threatened species, due to its ability to live nearly everywhere that some foliage or forestation is present. This includes rural fields & woodlands, rivers & creeks, roadsides & gardens, and even in many urban locations. It's so popular that four states (South Carolina, George, Delaware & Alabama) have named this butterfly their official state butterfly. Virginia (my state) decided to go one step further, labeling it their official state insect. Known as powerful, quick & strong fliers, adults can frequently be seen above tree canopies. With their colorful appearance and wide wing span between 3 & 5 1/2 inches, they are hard to miss. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is diurnal (only active during the day). Though generally solitary, males are known to congregate in "puddling," where they huddle near each other around puddles, mud or damp rocks. These activities are believed to help them extract necessary amino acids & sodium ions beneficial for reproduction. Adults have a wide range of food sources, but prefer nectar from sturdy plants having pink or red flowers. But they also may feed on urine or dung from other insects or animals. To eat food, it uses a long & flexible tube-like proboscis tongue (as seen clearly in my picture below) to sip liquids. This proboscis can coil & uncoil as needed. The lifespan of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly extends from Spring through Fall, during which time they produce two or three broods (two in northern climates - where lifespan is slightly shorter, and three farther south). As with most butterflies, birds are their chief predator. In caterpillar stage, squirrels, raccoons & shrews (among others) may find them appetizing. Further research: Enchanted Learning Wikipedia