PIERIDAE – Whites and Sulphurs
Checkered White (Pontia protodice): Common in the yard throughout the year. Seem to be most attracted to the lavender bushes.
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae):
Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia): Common throughout most of the year. There are a few months in winter and early spring where they are rare or missing altogether.
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe): Recorded a few times but not the most common sulphur in our yard.
Orange Sulphur (Copias eurytheme): Common but irregular.
Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe): A regular visitor and seen throughout the year. Cassia is the preferred plant for adults but oftentimes seen foraging in Salvia chamaedryoides.
Tailed Orange (Pyrisitia properpia):
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole): Larval host plants are typically asters. After a few recent plantings and self seeding we have seen a huge increase in Dyssodia & Desert Marigolds in our front yard and with it an increase in Sulphurs, including the Dainty.
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus): One of the most common butterflies in N. America and also our yard. Seen throughout the year though more common in summer. Of all the flowering plants in our yard it seems to spend the most amount of time on Texas Kidneywood and the Woolly Butterfly bushes.
Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda):
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina):
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile):
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus):
Reakirt’s Blue (Echinargus isola):
Siva Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus siva):
Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis)
Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis):
Palmer’s Metalmark (Apodemia palmeri):
Ruddy Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus): This is the butterfly that got me started with a yard list. This butterfly showed up on a patch of Buddleia next to our back door. Walking outside and catching it out of the corner of my eye I knew it was something that I had never seen before and realizing I was lacking a camera ran back inside. Luckily, I was able to snap a few photos before it flew over our house to the front yard and then to the neighbors. After nearly 15 minutes of observation it floated on, never to be seen again.
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta): Commonly found in the yard year round though not always in large numbers. Tend to be the primary butterfly during the winter months. On August 25, 2018 we recorded over 300 in 2 flowering Texas Kidneywoods in the yard. Two days prior there were only 3.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus):
Viceroy (Limenitis gilippus):
Queen (Danaus gilippus):
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae):
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia):
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia):
Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas):
Arizona Checkerspot (Texola perse):
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana):
Dark Tropical Buckeye (Junonia evarete nigrosuffusa):
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia):
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui):
Arizona Sister (Adelhpa eulalia):
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis):
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus):
Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis):
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus):
