Common Buckeye

A common Buckeye butterfly.  How did it survive this late in the season?

 

Variegated Fritillary

We see this little guy late in the season.  It's a Variegated Fritillary, the last butterfly of the season.  (Or so this site says: here)

 

Tiger

The tiger swallowtail was enjoying the buttonbush flowers.

 

First sighting

The first Monarch butterfly of the season was flitting around on the butterfly weed.  Very appropriate.

 

Butterfly highway

Do butterflies need a highway?  Can they read the sign?

 

Last of the pollinators

There were very few flowers still blooming in the park.  But the pollinators were hanging on.

A little bumble bee.

A skipper.

 

Pearl Crescent

I think this is a Pearl Crescent...but all the Crescent butterflies look alike to me.  (see here)

 

Sleepy Orange

I think this little guy is a Sleepy Orange butterfly.  (see here)

How did it get a name like that?

 

Yum

The swamp milkweed must be pretty tasty.  

 

Hungry butterflies

The butterflies were enjoying the swamp milkweed by the lake.

 

Tiger

Tiger swallowtail, minus one tail.

 

Hobomok?

I think this might be a Hobomok skipper.  Named for the chief of the Wampanoag tribe. (see here)  Or not.  There are hundreds of different kinds of skippers.

 

Butterfly trees?

Lately I've found butterflies sitting in trees.  Are they laying eggs on the leaves?

Or just resting?

 

Fritillary

I think this is a Variegated Fritillary, (see here), but they all look similar.  He matches the center of the cosmos so well he's almost camouflaged.

 

Who am I?

I thought this would be easy.  But is it a Black form of the Tiger swallowtail? (see here)

Or a Pipevine swallowtail (here)  or a Black swallowtail (here) or a Spicebush swallowtail (here)?

Or does it matter if they're all beautiful?

 

Common?

The Common Buckeye needs a new name.  There's nothing common about this beauty.

 

Flying Pumpkin

This Gulf Fritillary (see here)  looked like a flying pumpkin.  The color was intense.

 

Tigers

The Tiger Swallowtail butterflies were busy in the wildflower field.

 

Butterfly heaven

The wildflower field at the museum of art may not have looked impressive this year, but the butterflies were thick on the few flowers that bloomed.

 

Most common

I read somewhere lately that the Tiger Swallowtail is the most common butterfly in North America.  I don't know about that, but it is one of the most noticeable.