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The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is probably one of the most well-known butterflies around! Native to the east coast, this striking insect loves to feed on tulip trees, black cherries, and sweet bay magnolias!

Did you know the Tiger Swallowtail is so popular that it is the state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, and South Carolina? It makes sense! Many people attribute these butterflies with grace, hope, and free spirits!

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Monarch butterflies areadventurers at heart! Each year, thesemagnificent creatures undergo a mass migrationto breed. As monarchs emerge in mid August,those who will undergo the journey begin flying south toward Mexico, where the over-wintering grounds are.

In March, they return north near Texas to breed. These offspring take on their parents mission and continue further into the US in April and May. Their descendants continue to repopulate throughout the summer until fall, when the cycle continues again!

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Say hello to the great purple hairstreak! Ironically, this butterfly is hardly known for its dusky purple coloration on the underside of its wings. Rather, both the males and females sport bright blue iridescent scales when their wings are open!

Their name “hairstreak” comes from the shape of their wings. They have a short and long tail on each of their hind wings!

They are a subtropical species which favors mistletoe plants in the southern U.S., east coast, and parts of Mexico!

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Large Marble Euchloe ausonides

is a pretty little butterfly that calls western U.S. home!

It favors mustard plants, feeding on the flower buds and laying their eggs there too.

Its subspecies, the island marble butterfly, was thought to be extinct on San Juan Island in Washington for decades until it’s rediscovery!

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Orange you glad it's almost summer!? Euptoieta hegesia is a beautiful little butterfly you can find from central Texas, Mexico, Central America andthe West Indies!

They are a part of the family Nymphalidae, and are often found in tropical and subtropical lowlands and fields, feeding on Lantana!

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The Magnificent Swallowtail Papilio garamas

is named quite appropriately! This species is one of my favorites because of their unique dimorphism and beautiful array of subspecies. Females can either appear like the males, who have a bright yellow band on their wings, or the darker variant! These lovelies also like to hang out from Costa Rica to Mexico!

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The Mexican Dartwhite! Catasticta nimbice

is a beautiful sulphur identifiable by their thick cream-ish tan bands with black veins, wide black outer margin, and light spots.

These butterflies thrive in the semi-deciduous mountain forests, forest edges, and streamsides from Costa Rica to Northern Mexico, where the males can be found year-round perching on vegetation to patrol for females.

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White-dotted Cattleheart! Parides alopius!

These guys are gorgeous members of the swallowtail family! While their main habitat stretches predominantly through Mexico, they have made their way into Arizona! Catch these beauties flying from March til November!