Southwest
Butterfly House
Informational Booklet
AT
Monarch
Wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange
and white pattern. Adults make massive migrations
from Aug-Oct, flying 1000’s of miles south to hibernate along the Ca. Coast and Central Mexico. No 1
monarch makes the entire trip– at least 5 generations are involved in the annual cycle. At some wintering sites, millions of butterflies roost together in
trees. Monarchs were transported to the International Space Station and were bred there.
Queen
Moderately large butterfly sometimes mistaken
for monarchs. The queen has a darker, brown
ground color. Boasts a very tough and flexible
chitinous exoskeleton unlike most other butterflies. The queen butterfly is unpalatable to predators because of toxic compounds from favorite
food milkweed.
Range: Extreme southern United States south to
Argentina.
Range: Southern Canada south to South America.
Also present in Australia and Hawaii.
American Black Swallowtail
Upper surface of wings is black with 2 rows of yellow spots– larger and brighter in males than in females. Females are slightly larger than males and
mimics the foul tasting Pipevine Swallowtail.
Range: Southern Canada to South America.
Giant Swallowtail
This striking butterfly is the largest in Canada and US
with wingspan of 4-6.5 inches. Body and wings are
dark brown/black with yellow bands. There is a yellow “eye” in each wing tail.
Range: Eastern US west to Rocky Mountains south
through desert SW to South America
Monarch, Queen and Viceroy butterflies closely resemble one another. Here are some key differences to
help with identification.
Monarch and Queen caterpillars both feed on milkweed which makes them unpalatable to predators. All 3
species use their bright orange coloration to warn away predators, but the Viceroy is a mimic. Viceroys
resemble Monarchs in the north and Queens in the south. Notice black line crossing Viceroy postmedian
wing which is absent from the Monarch.
Queens and Monarchs are easier to distinguish from upper wing patters as the Queens are a darker shade of
orange and lack the black veining on upper wings. Trickier with wings closed, but Queens lack the black veins
on upper wings and have white spots on their lower wings. Monarch’s underwings are much paler than the
Queens.
Zebra Longwing
American Snout
Boldly striped black and white wing pattern warns off
predators. Adults roost communally at night in
groups of up to 60 for safety. The medium sized
adults are unusual in feeding on pollen as well as
nectar.
Snout Butterflies have prominent mouthparts
which give the appearance of the stem of a dead
leaf which when hanging upside down makes
them nearly invisible. Wings are patterned brownblack with orange and white markings.
Range: Extreme Southern US south to South America. Also West Indies.
Range: Only snout in North America. Argentina
north to Southern US and West Indies. Migrates
to Central Ca., Southern Nevada, Colorado and
Viceroy
Cloudless Sulphur
Wings feature an orange and black pattern and is a
mimic of the monarch and queen butterflies. It can
be distinguished from the monarch by it’s smaller
size and the postmedian black line that runs across
the veins on the hindwing.
Large, active yellow butterflies. Caterpillars are
green or yellow depending on the colors of the
host plant.
Range: NW Territories south along eastern edges of
Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central
Mexico. Also eastern United States.
Range: Argentina north to Southern United
States.
Gulf Fritillary
Medium to large orange butterfly with
long, narrow wings in comparison with
other butterflies. Takes common name
from migration over the Gulf of Mexico.
Range: South America north to Southern
United States.
Hackberry Emperor
Reddish brown butterfly flies in a fast,
erratic manner and rests upside down
on tree trunks. Young caterpillars feed
communally and overwinter in groups
gathered inside dead rolled Hackberry
tree leaves.
Range: Eastern US, Central Plain states,
Southwest Mts into Northern Mexico.
Red Spotted Purple
Features red spots on its underside and tops
of wings are notable for their iridescent blue
markings. It is a mimic of the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail.
Range: Southwest, Midwest and Eastern
United States.
Red Admiral
This medium sized butterfly is identified by
its striking brown, red and black wing
pattern. Has very erratic, rapid flight.
Range: North America, Asia and temperate
Europe.
Checkered White
Males are bright white, females are dusky
white– darker than males. Common in disturbed or agricultural areas.
Range: Permanent resident in Southern United
States and Northern Mexico. Temporary resident in Northern US and Southern Canada.
Mourning Cloak
Large, unique butterfly that lives 10-11 months, one
of the lonest living butterflies.
Range: All of North America south of the tundra to
Central America. Also native to temperate Eurasia.
American Painted Lady
Painted Lady
Medium sized, orange brown with black margins
and white spots. Underneath wing color is a
beautiful combo of pink, brown, olive, black and
white. Can be told apart from Painted Lady by
the tiny white spot in the postmedian area of the
forewing. (spot not present on Painted Lady)
Most widely distributed butterfly in the world.
Large butterfly identified by the black and white
corners of it’s mainly deep orange, blackspotted wings. Underside gray with white and
red markings. Migrant butterfly; migration is
erratic and may be tied to weather patterns.
Range : Southern Canada south to South America, occasionally in Europe, Hawaii and Caribbean.
Range: All continents except Australia and Antarctica.