07/16/2021 Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
[Note: updated 7/28/2021 to correct ID of Silver-spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus to Hoary Edge – Achalarus lyciades.]
[Note: Updated 9/30/2021 – Taxon change. Old nomenclature changed from Hoary Edge – Achalarus lyciades to Hoary Edge – Thorybes lyciades]
Sometimes I spot a butterfly from a window, other times I actively choose a time to search along the borders. The most fun is when I’m working in the garden and one unexpectedly floats by, sending me chasing it for a brief time to capture the moment. Such a serendipitous encounter occurred yesterday. From the corner of my eye I caught painterly colors drifting by. They belonged to a Black Swallowtail. It entered the garden at the same time as an Eastern TIger Swallowtail. Both headed for the lantana which was already serving a good number of customers.
07/16/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
The Eastern Tiger moved on quickly, startled I think by a bee or skipper trying to share the flowers. Within two minutes the Black Swallowtail had also departed, leaving me conscious of the fleetingness of the moment.
07/16/2021 Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Butterfly Sightings 7/13/2021- 7/16/2021
07/13/2021 American Lady – Vanessa virginiensis 1 Common lantana
07/13/2021 Ocola Skipper – Panoquina ocola 2 Common lantana; Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)
07/13/2021 Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) 2 Common lantana
07/13/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – Papilio glaucus 1 Common lantana
[next ID updated 7/28/2021 and 9/30/2021:]
07/13/2021 Silver-spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus Hoary Edge – Achalarus lyciades Hoary Edge – Thorybes lyciades 1 Common lantana
07/13/2021 Horace’s Duskywing – E. horatius 3
07/13/2021 Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) 1
07/14/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – Papilio glaucus 3 (1 is dark morph)
07/14/2021 Common Buckeye – Junonia coenia 1
07/14/2021 Horace’s Duskywing – E. horatius 4
07/14/2021 Fiery Skipper – Hylephila phyleus 2
07/14/2021 Skipper sp. 10 on lantana and butterfly bush
07/14/2021 Silver-spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus 1
07/14/2021 Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) 1
07/14/2021 Ocola Skipper – Panoquina ocola 2
07/15/2021 Common Buckeye – Junonia coenia 1 Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ (Black-eyed Susan)
07/15/2021 Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) 1
07/15/2021 Horace’s Duskywing – E. horatius 1
07/15/2021 Ocola Skipper – Panoquina ocola 1
07/16/2021 Cabbage White – Pieris rapae 1
07/16/2021 Horace’s Duskywing – E. horatius 4
07/16/2021 Common Buckeye – Junonia coenia 1
07/16/2021 Silver-spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus 2
07/16/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 2 (1 is dark morph)
07/16/2021 Black Swallowtail – Papilio polyxenes 1
07/16/2021 Fiery Skipper – Hylephila phyleus 2
Here are a few glimpses of the butterflies seen from 7/13/2021- 7/16/2021. In addition to the one mentioned above, there have been a few Eastern Tiger Swallowtails with a couple of sighting of a dark morph, one on July 14 and yesterday, July 16. I have no way to know if it’s the same individual, but the more recent one is decidedly aged.
07/13/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
07/14/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
07/16/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) -Dark morph
07/16/2021 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) -Dark morph
07/13/2021 Hoary Edge – Achalarus lyciades (Originally I had misidentified it as Silver-spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus.) [Note 2: Updated 9/30/2021 – Taxon change. Old nomenclature changed from Hoary Edge – Achalarus lyciades to Hoary Edge – Thorybes lyciades]
07/13/2021 American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
07/13/2021 Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
07/14/2021 Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
07/14/2021 Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
07/14/2021 Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
There are other insects around of course. Now that Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower) is open in several parts of the garden, the bees gather eagerly.
07/14/2021 Bees on Rudbeckia laciniata (Green-Headed Coneflower)
Dragonflies have been prolific this year and this week I noticed a damselfly as well.
07/13/2021 Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta)
07/15/2021 Great Blue Skimmer (Libellula vibrans)
07/14/2021 Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita)
Hope your gardens are filled with wondrous sights that fill you with awe.
pbmGarden 
I guess I could take photos of the mosquitoes… 🙂 Love the Great Blue Skimmer!!
Plenty of those here too once we finally had some rain. Hope the dragonflies are working on them.
Just a few dragonflies so far…
I see a book in your future or at least a pamphlet.
I did make a book of collected family recipes once for my sisters and daughter and used garden photos. It turned out quite well but was a lot of work. I’ve started many times to do another one of the garden but each time abandoned for lack of time. I would love to do the butterflies though, thanks for the suggestion.
Beautiful images, are the swallowtails hosting in your garden?? Surprised to see a Hairstreak there.
Thanks. The swallowtails just stop by for nectaring as far as I know. I think hairstreaks are all over.
We have Giant Swallowtails here that host on citrus. I have a lime in the garden and I see them often. I looked and there are a lot of hairstreaks…some weird tropical ones down here.
How delightful! I admire your patience and camerawork, Susie. Do you plant host plants for larva as well? I’m trying to add more around the garden. I counted 15 BST on my dill in May, but I think something may have eaten them as they were gone before they got big enough to pupate. Nature can be tough. 😦
No not really, I bought parsley and wild carrot seeds that never got planted. Will work on that because it seems that a good step. Too bad about your BST. In the 20 years at this garden I’ve found only one BST caterpillar. It was on a rather invasive plant, Aegopodium podagraria (bishop’s weed).
I think you can apply to have your garden officially named a wildlife refuge, Susie!
…except for rabbits! Sign would have to read: “Crazy woman lives here. Seen chasing bunnies and yelling!”
I am so impressed with all your butterflies, you have such an amazing variety. Our butterflies have just started to come in greater numbers now that all our rain has stopped.
I feel very lucky to have seen so many butterflies this year. You have some beautiful ones in your garden. Looking forward to seeing them.
Beautiful again! And your flowers look fantastic
Thank you. A little rain helped fill out the flowers. Sometimes I chide the butterflies if they light on stems that should be deadheaded or in a weedy patch!
I bet your garden is the best diner in miles! 😉 You have a wonderful ‘menu’ of flowers for such a variety of visitors.
Thanks! Hope to keep the diner open well into October for the Monarchs.
Oh, this is a great idea. The butterflies are lovely. I do quite a few butterfly surveys for wisconsinbutterflies.org. 🙂 Enjoy the beauty of your garden and your garden visitors.
Beth, I’m enjoying chasing the butterflies more methodically this summer. Thanks for the link to Wisconsin butterflies. Very nicely organized with beautiful images. I bookmarked it as a reference.
Beautiful shots, especially the Tiger Swallowtail. I like the Pearl Crescent and Hairstreak as well. This morning I went into the garden and found pair of black swalllowtails and monarchs.
Well that’s a good morning in the garden Jason. Love black swallowtails and monarchs. I saw one monarch early on but none since. Usually around September.