Post #796656 by uncle trav on Sun, Aug 4, 2019 5:16 AM

The weather here in Michigan has been hot and dry and the butterflies have become abundant. My lawn has gone brown and crispy but my garden is doing fantastic as my water bill steadily climbs. Here are some pics of some recent visitors. My best chance for a good photo is when they land on the coneflowers. I’ve had many more types visit than I have been able to photograph so here are a few.

Monarch with an injured wing but she flew just fine.

A Red-Spotted Purple

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Female Black Swallowtail

And most impressive of all was a Giant Swallowtail. One of the largest butterflies in North America. They have a wingspan as long as a dollar bill!

Earlier this summer I started a small pot of milkweed on the patio. Now I have eight monarch caterpillars happily munching away. Good to see!

"Anyone who has ever seen them is thereafter haunted as if by a feverish dream" Karl Woermann

[ Edited by: uncle trav 2019-08-04 05:18 ]