Many winged friends spin through the fresh mountain air. Montana is a large state, with many different types of terrain. This makes it habitable to many different species of caterpillars, that will eventually become butterflies or moths! Identifying these majestic creatures could be hard without the right source materials, so here’s 5 butterfly species to look out for on your outdoor adventures.
The Mourning Cloak
Let’s kick it off with the official butterfly of the state, The Mourning Cloak! This gorgeous and chic flutter is mostly jet black, spare the yellow and white tinges on the wings. In Britain, they’re called “Camberwell Beauty”.
Red Spotted Purple
The Red Spotted Purple butterfly is actually not red, spotted or purple at all! It’s actually a shiny, almost metallic blue with a jet back body and outline.
Viceroy
Commonly mistaken for a Monarch, the Viceroy has a similar pattern. The wing shape, however, is completely different. Viceroy’s wings are more downturned, and are closer together.
Gray Hairstreak
Gray Hairstreak is a unique colored and shaped butterfly. Elegant wings, shaded soft gray, with orange dots at the bottom of the wings.
The Spring Azure
The Spring Azure is a gorgeous, blue iridescent winged flutter. They’re distinguished by the season they are visiting gardens. There’s “Spring” and “Summer” Azures.
So why do you need to know about these stunning creatures? Well, as we’re fully out of springtime and entering summer, a lot of these butterflies’ works will come to light! The pollination of many flowering plants relies on butterflies, amongst other insects, to spread pollen! So, to welcome in a beautiful and fragrant spring and summer, we have them to thank!
It’s great to be educated in the species, and be able to identify them. Especially if you’d like to attract any to your garden. It’s also a fun game for you and your family to enjoy when you’re out together! So, here was just a few of the gorgeous species that Montanans can enjoy while out in the wilderness. Let us know if you see any of the butterflies flutter by, and I’ll catch you on the next one!
