Butterflies

Skipper on Blue

A skipper butterfly on blue flowers, which may be Bumble Blue, in our garden last summer. The orange of the skipper really stood out against the blue and green surrounding it. Newtown, Bucks County, PA-US.

Monarch on Bluemink

A monarch butterfly feeds on the flowers of Bluemink, a fuzzy flowered plant that is super popular with bee, butterflies, and other insects in our backyard garden. Newtown, Bucks County, PA-US

Beautiful Larvae of the Monarch

Two monarch caterpillars munch on some milkweed in preparation for entering their pupa stage. I never encountered monarch caterpillars in the wild before, so I was really stoked when I saw these. Beautiful creatures in all stages of their life cycle. Pennypack Trust, PA-USA.

Rest the Weary Wings

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly with a little less wing than usual feeds on an 8 foot tall thistle, baking in the hot summer sun. Carl Kohler Park, PA-US.

Cabbage White Closeup

This cabbage white butterfly was sheltering from a slight rain among some long grass. Gave me a perfect opportunity to get nice and close. Newtown, Bucks County, PA.

Hello There

Two skipper butterflies negotiate taking the relationship to the next level on some milkweed, which is great place to meet single insects. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Skipper Butterfly Feeding on Purple Flower

A small skipper feeds on a wildflower in the garden (which may be a bumble blue flower) on a bright sunny summer day. Some early blooming goldenrod added the highlights in the background. Shot in the garden.

Farewell to the Monarch

A male monarch butterfly feeds on a wildflower, back lit by the low evening sun. This monarch was late to leave for warmer air down south, being one of the last I have seen in the area. A week later, I see no more as it is nearing the end of September. We shall meet again next spring. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham, PA-US

Eastern Tailed Blue in the Grass

My first Eastern Tailed-blue photo of the 2021 season. This one was flitting around the wet grass as the sun came out. Worth getting soaked for, as I laid on the soaked ground to get this shot. Power Line Trail, Montgomery County, Horsham PA.

Eastern Tailed Blue on Blade of Grass

Eastern tailed blue butterfly are tiny, and this one was on the small sized even for them. They range from 3/4 to 1 inch wing span when fully outstretched. They usually stick close to the ground, making photographing them a “laying on your belly” affair. They are one of my favorites to shoot though.

Mighty Monarch on Milkweed

The mighty monarch, taking in some food on a large patch of milkweed we grew in our backyard (and hopefully also laying some eggs!). This was the third year of the milkweed coming back since being planted, and this season it exploded at nearly five foot tall, and as dense as a bush. Consider growing some milkweed in your garden or yard. It's easy to grow, and the benefits to the declining monarch population, not to mention the benefits for anyone who likes to witness nature, are huge. Bees and many other pollinators will also show up, and you'll have a busy little garden metropolis in no time. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Stretching its Wings

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail stretching out its wings while feeding. Good to see some of these giants lately, have been seeing way less of them this summer compared to the last few summers up until now. Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope PA.

Great-spangled Fritillary Butterfly

A Great-spangled Fritillary butterfly feeds on some Beebalm in the setting sun at Pennypack Trust, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania USA.

Mini Meadow Meal

A closeup of a cloudless sulphur butterfly sampling nectar from some fleabane wildflowers in a meadow at Tyler State Park, PA

Black Swallowtail Closeup

I believe this is a black swallowtail, but unfortunately it’s wings were fairly damaged where the markings were, so it was difficult to tell. I was able to get really close while it rested in the grass. I have seen butterflies fly with less wing than this one, so hopefully it was just taking a breather. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA

Monarch Caterpillar Ready to Enter Chrysalis Stage

This large monarch caterpillar is just about ready to start the process of becoming a butterfly. This is one of the few that made itself visible in the dense patch of milkweed in the backyard. A lot of monarch butterflies hanging around lately, hopefully we get a nice batch of new butterflies! Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Monarch Refuge

A monarch butterfly feeds on the flowers of native milkweed. Monarchs are in serious decline in North America, so planting native plants, especially milkweed which is home to the eggs and caterpillar of these insects, is one thing that many gardeners can do to help. Newtown, Bucks County, PA

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Landing on Thistle

Eastern tiger swallowtail shows off its large wings, which are in fairly good condition for the time of the year. I think the thistle has a tendency to shred portions of their wings, but it doesn't seem to interfere much with their ability to fly. Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, New Hope, Bucks County PA

Base Jumping Butterfly

An unknown species of butterfly looks like it is about launch off of a cliff. Once in a while you get a butterfly that decides to calmly pose for a minute. I really like that short time spent with a creature in a relaxed state. Everything around you stops, and its just you and the subject removed from the standard hum of reality. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

Garden Party

A skipper butterfly is dwarfed by the coneflower it is feeding on. A late day summer sun added brilliance to the garden, and while I often get in close for my insect shots, I thought that the vivid colors were worth showcasing in the shot. Newtown, PA-US

Bow Down Before the Monarch

A monarch butterfly looks down from his lofty leaf on a hot summer day. I think it was just taking a breather, and getting some sun. I liked the different angle I had on the butterfly, giving it a powerful look. Power Line Trail, Horsham, PA-US

It's a Speck to You but It's a Feast to Me

A tiny Spring Azure butterfly feeds on clover, those little white flowers always in your yard. Sometimes these small flyers settle down long enough for a photo. Usually once I lay flat on the grass, these guys decide its time to move on, but every once in a while I get lucky. Horsham Powerline Trail, Horsham PA-US

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly Feeding on Bee Balm

An Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly feeds on a patch of wild growing Bee Balm. This patch of flowers had up to 20 butterflies of all different types, a sight I have not seen before. There were plenty of other bees and such, though unfortunately I did not see any honey bees, which is alarming since I have seen very few honey bees so far this entire summer. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US

Mellow Yellow- Orange Sulphur Butterfly

What I think to be an Orange sulphur butterfly nectaring on a yellow wildflower in a meadow. In the high heat of a sunny summer day, the Sulphur butterflies are everywhere in a nice open meadow. This Orange Sulphur (could be a clouded sulphur, they are hard to tell apart when the wings are folded up) had its wings lit from behind by the sun, giving them a glow and slight translucent appearance. Tyler State Park, Newtown, PA-US