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　 　Great Southern Whites tend to be wanderers. Individuals often disperse, but the species is known for massive emigrations where thousands leave to colonize new territory. Coastal movement is common, and some years they travel inland, using a variety of weedy mustard plants for reproduction. Jim Egbert, who documented Great Southern Whites in Alabama, observed such a mass movement in June 2016. He reported seeing hundreds flying in south Baldwin County, and at times, was able to see three “whites” together: Cabbage, Checkered, and Great Southern. In the fall, Great Southern Whites often make a backward trek. These butterflies cannot … Read more

Host Plants Skip to Host Plants Buckeye caterpillars are solitary and mostly feed on the weed plantain and on Gerardia, grown for its showy flowers. It also feeds on snapdragon, toadflax and other native weeds. Buckeye butterflies visit numerous weedy and ornamental flowers. Residential Recommendation Skip to Residential Recommendation Because plantain is not a particularly desirable plant in the landscape, should buckeye caterpillars be noticed on it, no control seems necessary. When buckeye caterpillars are found causing actual damage to snapdragon or Gerardia, use Sevin or some other insecticide labeled for use in the landscape. Common Name：Buckeye The Buckeye occurs at all … Read more

How to identify Apart from the very rare large blue, the chalkhill blue is our largest blue butterfly. Males are silvery-blue with a dark brown border and a white fringe on the wings. The females are brown with a white fringe to the wings and a blue dusting near the body. They look similar to common blue females, but are larger and have chequered wing fringes. The orange wing spots are also less obvious in the female chalkhill blue. As its name suggests, the Chalk Hill Blue is found on chalk downland, although limestone downland is also used. The adult … Read more

Brown Hairstreak Obsession The Brown Hairstreak is one of our most elusive yet most conspicuous butterflies. The adult is rarely seen but the egg is easily found.It is an attractive butterfly, the female especially delightful with a warm golden underside with a patch of the same striking hue on the upper-side of the fore-wings. Aside from the golden patch the upper-sides are dark brown. Males look similar, but the underside gold is paler and the fore-wing patch paler and reduced or absent. The reddish-gold tails on the hind-wings add to its charms. The legs are a striking white, resembling starched … Read more

　　The Brown argus favours open, chalk and limestone grasslands, but can also be spotted on coastal dunes, in woodland clearings and along disused railways. 　　The Brown argus is a small butterfly that is on the wing throughout the summer, between May and September. Adults feed on Common Rock-rose, which is also the caterpillars’ foodplant, together with various species like Crane’s-bills. The Brown argus is found in dry, sunny and open habitats, including heathland and downland, and seems to be expanding its range as the climate warms up. 　　How to identify 　　The Brown argus has bronzy-brown upperwings with an orange band … Read more

How rare is a brimstone butterfly? Usually seen in ones or twos, they are never very common, but are widespread. They can be found in damp woodlands, along sunny, woodland rides and mature hedgerows, and in large gardens. Why is it called a brimstone butterfly? The brimstone is thought to be the original butterfly, named for the yellow colour of the male. Brimstone is an old name for sulphur, the colour which perfectly matches the male’s wings. The brimstone is sexually dimorphic, meaning males and females are different. What are the predators of the brimstone butterfly? Predators. Like most woodland … Read more

　　The Black Hairstreak is one of our most elusive butterflies, foundonly in thickets of Blackthorn in woodlands on heavy clay soilsbetween Oxford and Peterborough in the East Midlands of England.The adults spend nearly all their time in the canopies of trees ordense scrub where they feed on honeydew secreted by aphids.At certain times they make short looping flights in and out of thetree tops. Butterflies can be seen from early morning to earlyevening with a peak of activity around midday. The adults areeasy to confuse with those of the White-letter Hairstreak andPurple Hairstreak which fly at the same time of … Read more

　　1:Butterfly Wings Are Transparent 　　How can that be? We know butterflies as perhaps the most colorful, vibrant insects around! Well, a butterfly’s wings are covered by thousands of tiny scales, and these scales reflect light in different colors. But underneath all of those scales, a butterfly wing is actually formed by layers of chitin—the same protein that makes up an insect’s exoskeleton. These layers are so thin you can see right through them. As a butterfly ages, scales fall off the wings, leaving spots of transparency where the chitin layer is exposed. 　　2:Butterflies Taste With Their Feet 　　Butterflies have taste … Read more