Butterflies and Moths

Swallowtails
Subfamily Papilioninae

• Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
• Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
• Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
• Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
• Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) ventral view  dorsal view   Female black form.

Whites
Subfamily Pierinae

• Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
• Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)

Sulphurs Subfamily Coliadinae

• Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
• Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
• Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
• Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
• Little Yellow (Eurema lisa)
• Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
• Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
• Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)

Harvesters Subfamily Miletinae

• Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius)

Hairstreaks Subfamily Theclinae

• Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
• Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis)
• Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus)
• Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
• White M Hairstreak (Parrhasius m-album) found at Prairie Creek
• Red-Banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
• Henry’s Elfin (Callophrys henrici)

Blues Subfamily Polyommatinae

• Reakirt’s Blue (Hemiargus isola)
• Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas)

Snouts Subfamily Libytheinae

• American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)

Heliconians and Fritillaries Subfamily Heliconiinae

• Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
• Zebra (Heliconius charithonius)
• Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

True Brush-Foots Subfamily Nymphalinae

• Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone)
• Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
• Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
• Vesta Crescent (Phyciodes vesta)
• Texas Crescent (Anthanassa texana) Rowlett Creek
• Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis)
• Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
• Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
• American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
• Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
• Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
• Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

Admirals and Relatives Subfamily Limenitidinae

• Red-Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astayanax)
• Viceroy (Limenitis archippus)

Leafwings Subfamily Charaxinae

• Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)

Emperors Subfamily Apaturinae

• Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
• Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton)

Satyrs Subfamily Satyrinae

• Gemmed Satyr (Cyllopsis gemma)
• Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela)
• Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)

Monarchs Subfamily Danainae

• Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
• Queen (Danaus gilippus)

Spread-Wing Skippers Subfamily Pyrginae

• Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
• Long-Tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
• Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
• Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
• Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
• Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)
• Juvenal’s Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)
• Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
• Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)

Grass Skippers Subfamily Hesperiinae

• Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
• Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris)
• Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
• Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan)
• Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
• Celia’s/Bell’s Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes sp.)
• Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
• Sachem (Atalopedes campestris))

68 species

 

Above taxonomic listing is the one used by the Dallas Lepidopterist’s Society to allow users

to compare species lists.

Moths

 

There are numerous small species which we cannot identify
Saturniid moth cocoon found
Hummingbird Moth, Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis)-photo and description

White-lined Sphinx (White-lined sphinx (Hyles lineata [Fabricius])-photo and description

Grapevine Epimenis (Psychomorpha epimenis)- photo

Sad Underwing (Catocala maestosa)

White-tipped Black (Melanchroia chephise)

Disparate Forester (Androloma disparata) Bob Woodruff Park 9/07 DH

Luna Moth – Derek reports “I’ve only seen one Luna Moth ever in Dallas Co.  This was several years ago
at Rowlett Creek Preserve (Spring Creek is a tributary to Rowlett Creek) over in Garland.

Too bad I didn’t have a camera to capture this spectacular species.”

Links

Dallas County Lepidopterists’ Society

A Selection of Texas Diurnal Moths

North American Butterfly Association

Butterflies of Clymer Meadow – a tall grass prairie about 35 miles ne of Spring Creek.

Butterflies of North America

NABA Butterfly Count

Monarch Links

Spring Monarch Migration (1997-2001) Journey North

Texas Monarch Watch – calendar

Green Milkweed

Here are two photos of “Asclepias viridis” or GREEN MILKWEED. This is what grows in most of Texas, next to the highways and in open fields. It is deep rhizome shoots that come up with the spring rains, as well as from seeds. As long as there is water, this milkweed is prevalent. It can be harvested, washed, sterilized and frozen in ziplock bags.

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You can help maintain butterfly habitats by recognizing these milkweeds, and then not mowing the field varieties that grow wild.
Linda Rogers.

Note: Milkweeds cannot be harvested at Spring Creek since this is a Preserve.

Left:    Green Milkweed

Right:  Monarch caterpillar

Texas Milkweed Photos

04/07/2015