You Texans are all the same to me. Just kidding!!!

Betsy, that chrysalis looks diseased.

My butterfly has a message for you Melanie ~

Hummingbirds are gone and butterflies are fading fast in Maine.
I did have one day about a week ago when the one remaining flowering plant in my wife's herb garden was doing a brisk business with butterflies. I have a National Audubon field guide to New England that I use to identify birds, bees, butterflies, etc. I took the attached photo but can't seem to find it in the guide.
Any ideas to its identity?
Thanks, Chuck

Butterfly season is in full swing here in Central Texas. The Greg's Mist Flower continues to draw crowds of queens and an occasional gulf fritillary:

Hi Chuck and

That is a Great Spangled Fritillary

I'm eagerly awaiting confirmation from BAMONA about a butterfly I saw on Keewaydin Island today during a stop on our eco-tour cruise. It had tails like a Hairstreak, but spotting and color more like a Blue. I checked the list of reported species in Collier County, but nothing seemed like an exact match. I'll post the photo in my Naples thread once I find out what it is. I'm pretty sure it's a butterfly I've never seen before. Which is exciting but also a little irritating because I want to know what it is! Hopefully, I'll get to add another butterfly to my life list.

Heading back home in the morning!

I saw some little butterflies on the Texas goldentops the other day that looked like hairstreaks but they were even smaller, like the size of a Blue. I tried to get some pictures but they didn't turn out very good.

I think they are Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido c. comyntas). What do you think? If you can even see them good enough, that is.




I have a few more pics but they sure are slow to load again this morning.

More butterfly action.
Texas Crescent



Giant Swallowtail - but missing one tail





Gray Hairstreak




Common Mestra

Christine, that looks like an Eastern Tailed Blue to me. They're so small and fly around so much, it's really hard to get a decent picture. I have Cassius Blues nearly year-round, but I rarely post photos because it's too difficult.

Char, what a variety! I really like that Texas Crescent. And those Mestras aren't common at all!

Thanks, Melanie.

Char, those are beautiful photos!

A Variegated Frit practicing it's spooky Halloween shadows

Goodness, you are a traveler Melanie!

The Queens are everywhere! While Greg's Mist Flower is their favorite, they'll also sip from:

Flame acanthus



Eupatorium odorata (which has a new name I can't remember)





Viguiera stenobola



Bee bush



and even cenizo.



Obviously the Queens aren't picky eaters.

I had five Gulf Frits in the yard this morning and several skippers. They really like the Mexican sunflowers, I don't know what this smaller one is. Any ideas?
Anole

WOW!

Great butterfly shots everyone!

anole said:I had five Gulf Frits in the yard this morning and several skippers. They really like the Mexican sunflowers, I don't know what this smaller one is. Any ideas?
Anole

Great photos!
Now don't think this is expert advice (because I'm often wrong!) but I think the first little skipper looks like an Ocola Maybe
The other one appears to be a Long-tailed skipper. Lucky you!!!

Saw these today, sipping on some zinnias in my garden...

skipper?


This Gulf would not be still...

I was thinking Ocola Skipper at first glance, too, but I had to check and see if they were in that area. They are! They're one I can tell because they have those elongated forewings that kind of stand out.

I have some pictures, but I'm currently full of spaghetti and sitting in the comfy recliner watching football. So...no real motivation to get up yet.