Appreciating Backyard Butterflies and Moths

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I like butterflies in the garden, but I have to admit, I view many of them with suspicion.

While they are potential pollinators, I am particularly wary when I see butterflies and moths flitting around my plants while I feed, because they lay eggs that turn into voracious caterpillars. But I realize I need to give them a closer look.

Our oldest son took a biology class this spring where we bought 5 painted lady caterpillars to watch them go through the process of forming a chrysalis and emerging as a butterfly. He woke me up way too early one morning when all 5 were in their protective cocoons, and we spent the next week or so watching them carefully for any signs of butterfly life. Earlier this week they came out, one by one. After a couple of days of enjoying them, he let them loose.

Types of Butterflies

Besides watching the whole process, the boys have been going nuts on catching butterflies and moths for the past week or so. A couple of $1.99 nets kept them busy for hours many days. What shocked me was the variety we have, and the incredible beauty of our little regional butterflies and moths.

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

One of my favorites, although we haven’t seen it around here this year, is the Mourning Cloak. It’s the Montana state butterfly, and is very pretty with incandescent blue spots on their wings. I can’t recall if we’ve ever seen them at our place (I must admit I haven’t taken much notice over the years), but I’ve seen them a lot in the mountains or fields when we’ve been riding. I’ll have to take special notice on some of our hikes this season.

Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Of course, one of the most impressive (and one the boys have not been able to capture) is the Western Tiger Swallowtail. It’s a large (up to 4 inches) butterfly with distinct black and yellow markings. We saw the first one this week cruising around the house. I’m happy to report that zinnias are a nectar source for swallowtails, and we already have some of them blooming in the garden. Hosts for the caterpillars are typically cottonwood or aspens, which are just fine by me because any munching they do is negligible.

Spring Azure Butterfly

The little ones the boys catch are like little jewels in the butterfly habitat. They are yellow, bright green, white and one of the most beautiful blue hues you’ll see. We found out the blue one might be the Spring Azure (Celestrina ladon), although with the numerous blue butterfly species it’s hard to pinpoint. When the wings are closed, it looks more drab and gray, but as it flies the almost French blue color is eye-catching.

Clouded Sulphur Butterfly

And it looks like the yellow ones are probably one of the “Sulphur” varieties. I’m leaning towards Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) butterflies. The colors are stunning. But we still need to figure out the other species the boys find in their nets before they release them. We’ll end up with a butterfly list by the end of the summer along with the one we’re doing for the birds we see.

Even though the boys are technically the ones “in school” learning about this stuff, this biology project made me realize I need to open my own eyes. It’s a shame to miss all of this beauty in our backyard.

Meet Amy Grisak

Amy is a freelance author and photographer in Great Falls, MT who specializes in gardening, foods, and sustainable agriculture. She provides information on every kind…

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