By Lowell & Kaye Christie, F47246
July 2008
Don’t let your summer flutter away without enjoying a colorful show.
During our many years of travel, we’ve found that we not only change locations with the seasons, but we also change the focus of our attention. Spring, of course, is the time for bird migration, from the masses of shorebirds along the coasts to the waves of warblers that stream northward. As the birds become more secretive in their nesting grounds, we divide our time between them and the fields of wildflowers that gradually lead us from the deserts to the mountains.
As the heat of summer slows down our midday activities, the flash of color that catches our eye is more likely to be a butterfly than a bird. Insects thrive in the heat; their cold-blooded bodies require warmth before they become active. And in the insect world, it’s the butterfly we enjoy the most.
Evidently we aren’t the only ones who look forward to butterfly season. Each year the North American Butterfly Association sponsors its summer Butterfly Count; depending on location, this event can take place in June or July. Participants from across the continent identify all the butterflies they can find within a specified 15-mile-diameter area. This information forms a basis for a yearly report on the health of the butterfly population.
Scientifically, butterflies and moths are members of the order Lepidoptera, with butterflies active by day, while most moths take up the night shift. As with other insects, butterflies have six jointed legs, three body segments, and two antennae. But it’s the colorful wings that attract us to their fluttering flight.
A butterfly’s name is often derived from the wonderful array of colors “” azure, blue, calico, and copper “” and the designs “” cloudywing, checkerspot, anglewing, swallowtail, hairstreak, jeafwing, metalmark, and orangetip “” that characterize its four wings. The list continues through almost 700 species that inhabit North America.
A butterfly’s colors come mainly from the millions of tiny scales that cover its delicate wings. Some scales provide color directly, being pigmented with brown, yellow, orange, or various earth tones. But the metallic blues, greens, and other iridescent shades are created by the refraction of light from minute ridges on the scales. These colors are produced by the physical structure of the scale and will change depending upon the position of the sun or your particular viewing angle.
When you see a butterfly perched on a blossom, its wings are normally folded high over its back, and you are looking at the bottom side of the rear pair of wings. Should you spook the butterfly by moving too fast or by casting a shadow, as it takes flight it shows the upper side of the front wings. The two sides often have different colors or patterns.
You can discover butterflies in almost every habitat, but you’ll see more if you concentrate on sunny areas where flowers are in bloom. Some of the stay-at-home types may never leave the meadow where they hatched, while others, such as the monarch, are long-distance travelers. Species such as the painted lady can be found almost anywhere; others stay close to their favorite host plant.
In the Handbook for Butterfly Watchers, author and expert Robert Pyle wrote: “I seek swallowtails on thistles and wild cherries and phlox, silverspots on horse mint and asters, blues on composites and clovers, and hairstreaks at bee-balm and clematis.” Most good butterfly books describe the preferred plants of specific species.
A great way to learn butterfly-plant associations is to visit a botanical garden and watch for butterflies. The plants usually have identification labels, which, combined with your butterfly identification book, permit you to match the flower with the butterfly. That way you can keep an eye out for those plants while traveling and/or make a list of flowers to consider when creating your butterfly garden at home. (This month’s “Baker’s Dozen” column has a number of places where you can see butterflies in natural habitats.)
As adults, butterflies dine entirely on liquids, mostly nectar from flowers. Many also are attracted to rotting fruit. They obtain their liquid through a long proboscis, a tubelike feeding structure. When not in use, it is coiled up like a garden hose.
Some butterflies require a certain amount of salt in their diet, which they often find in damp patches of soil. If you get close enough to a butterfly perched on a plant, you can sometimes use this need for salt to coax it onto your finger. First wipe your finger across your sweaty forehead to pick up some moisture. Then carefully present the finger to the butterfly. These creatures have a well-developed sense of smell through their antennae, and recognizing the scent of salt in the sweat, the butterfly may move from the blossom to your finger.
When you can’t get as close as you might wish, try using binoculars to watch butterflies. Usually you can get closer to butterflies than to birds, so close-focus binoculars are most helpful. On occasions when you are able to get really close to a butterfly, use a small magnifying glass to look at the texture of the scales. We always carry one for examining the smaller features of plants, but they are even more useful with docile butterflies.
People used to chase butterflies with nets, but now it’s more common to use a camera to capture their beauty. If you decide to join in this pastime, learning a butterfly’s habits and plant preferences are good starting points. As with most photography, knowing your subject is important.
Certain butterfly species (skippers, hairstreaks, and anglewings) will return to their perch after being startled, so waiting quietly will often get you a picture. Others (sulphurs and swallowtails) are less likely to return. For these types, you’ll need to use a telephoto lens to prevent disturbing them.
Whether you want to take pictures or simply watch, summer is butterfly season. It’s a perfect excuse to spend some time in sunny, flower-covered locations. What else are summers for?