Lepidoptera, Spring-Summer 2015 -- part 2: Butterflies, Lycaenidae through Nymphalidae

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

In the previous post, I covered the Hesperiidae, Papilionidae, and Pieridae butterflies. In this entry (part two of three) I'll talk about the rest of the butterfly species I've identified during this combined spring-summer season, during which time I've been learning to identify Lepidoptera. The third and final post of this series will cover moths. These are just casual accounts of what I've seen and where I've seen them in central Louisiana (and sometimes in other regions of the state) during this spring and summer. For more on the methods and purpose of this series of entries (and apologies for my amateur/novice status/approach!), see the introductory section of the previous entry in this blog (butterflies part one).

   And now, the butterflies...

Lycaenidae (Hairstreaks, Blues, and their kin):

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

   Graceful, pretty, ...and sometimes downright bizarre-looking: these are the hairstreaks and their kin. The few species from this family that I've been able to observe and photograph so far have given me some of my favorite butterflying experiences.

Gray Hairstreak, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

  Gray Hairstreaks are strikingly patterned little butterflies. The underside of the wings are mostly gray/blue-gray, there are faux-eye orange-and-black markings at the base of the 'tails' -- which extend from the back edge of the hind wing like ragged, feathery antennae. The 'eyes' and series of black-and-white dotted lines give the impression of a cartoonish 'monster face', perhaps confusing would-be predators about which end is the true head and possibly deterring attacks. So far I've only found this species a couple of times in Grant Parish, though it is likely more common/widespread.

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) with detail of wing decorations, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana
Both of the Gray hairstreaks that I've observed were perched on vegetation with their back ends pointing up.

Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas),
 Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

   The Red-banded Hairstreak is similar to the Gray Hairstreak. The underside of the wings are gray/brownish-gray with ribbons of red-orange bordered on the trailing side by a narrow black-and-white zigzag. The underside of the body is pale blue-white. So far I've only seen this species in La Salle Parish.
   Eastern Tailed-Blue is a species I've only seen with certainty on one occasion, on an August morning at the edge of an area of mature pine forest adjacent to a weedy field with lots of wildflowers in the Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish. The coloring on the underside of the wings is a pale blue-ish gray with a series of black or dusky heart-shaped or chevron markings on the outer edge of the underside of the wings. The black marks near the base of the 'tails' (narrow appendages of the hind wing) have red-orange partially surrounding them and an obvious heart shape. There are also a number of  small black crescents scattered and in arcs on the underside of the wings.

Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Snyder Road near Trout Creek, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Summer Azure, La Salle Parish

  Summer Azure was one of my favorites to observe and photograph. So far, I've only recorded them with certainty from the Trout Creek area west of Jena in La Salle Parish. The ones I saw were along roads in damp, thick, mature deciduous woods or nearby pine thickets and secondgrowth. They are small, powdery blue butterflies that, on closer inspection, have small blackish 'pencil mark' squiggles and spots on the undersides of the wings. The big black eyes contrast strongly with the overall coloring and there are black and white rings around the antennae.

Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), Snyder Road, La Salle Parish

Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies):


Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   Here's your classic butterfly: the Monarch, the Queen; Gulf Fritillary and Red-spotted Purple and Painted Lady. But alongside the larger or more vibrantly colored species that we've all noticed are the small, brown satyrs and their kind, and secretive or uncommon habitat specialists like the Pearly-eyes.

   I would start off with everyone's favorite, the Monarch, but I actually hadn't recorded/photographed one in the field during this year's Lepidoptera learning period until this September, so that will be covered in a later series about this Fall's Leps.

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), Jena, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) wing

  The American Snout is an odd looking species. The labial palps ("snout" at the front of the head) are extended, giving it a unique profile. The edges of the wings are somewhat angular with the upper surface of the wings being orange and black with white spots and the underside of the hind wing and a part of the front wing are camouflage brown-gray with some of the orange, black, and white present on the underside of the front wing. I've found this species around La Salle Parish in the Spring.

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta), Jena, La Salle Parish

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) nectaring on Lantana, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Gulf Fritillary, La Salle Parish

   The Gulf Fritillary is among the most common butterflies I've encountered in Cenla during the summer months. The upper surface is a brilliant orange with narrow dark lines extending from the black trailing edges of the wings and a few small white spots and black spots. The under side of the wings are boldly patterned in large, narrow, white oblongs against an orange-ish background. White and orange striped head and body. These butterflies are found in a variety of habitats and frequently visit flower plantings in yards and gardens.
   Less colorful, and, in my experience less common, is the Variegated Fritillary. The coloring on the undersurface on the wings is 'camouflage' browns, like bark or a dead leaf.

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

The upper surface is a more subdued, pale shade of orange than that of the Gulf, but also with dark lines, dividing the back of the wings into 'stained glass window' patterns. I've photographed this species in Catahoula Parish in Cenla, and Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana.

(blurry, sorry) Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Peveto Woods Sanctuary, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple showing purple hues,
Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish

   I've found the 'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple to be an abundant, near-ubiquitous species in a variety of habitats in this area. They are mostly black in color with a strong blue iridescence to the wings (and in some lights, purple or green-blue too) and have a series of orange spots and light blue crescents/chevrons on the wing. The Astyanax subspecies, which is the only one I've seen, differs significantly in appearance from the "White Admiral" form, which is found further north. I've seen the species feeding from the juices of rotting fruit, on animal droppings, as well as nectaring on flowers

'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Snyder Road, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Pearl Crescant, La Salle Parish

   The Crescents are attractive little butterflies. The Pearl Crescent is moderately common in the areas I frequent and are largely bright orange with black lines, spots, and patches creating a spider web of patterns, dividing the orange into numerous 'panels'. I've usually found them along roads and trails in wooded areas or along woodland edges.

Pearl Crescent, Jena, La Salle Parish

Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), Peveto Woods Sanctuary, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

The Phaon Crescent I've only found while on a birding trip to southwest Louisiana, though I understand that they can be found in Cenla as well. The Phaon's most obvious difference in appearance from the Pearl is a prominent series of pale/whitish-orange panels in arcs across the back of the wings in addition to the bright orange and black. Both species have largely pale brown and orange-ish coloring on the underside of the wings.

Phaon Crescent, Peveto Woods, Cameron Parish

  


Phaon Crescent, Peveto Woods Sanctuary, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Queen (Danaus gilippus), Peveto Woods, Cameron Parish

The Queen, a close relative of the Monarch, is another that, so far, I've only identified on a trip to SW Louisiana.


   The prize for most eye-catching pattern must go to the Common Buckeye. The background color is light brown; the combination of stripes, bars, circles, and blotches in shades of orange, blue, purple, black, and white is difficult to describe, but the pictures tell the story.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) nectaring on Lantana, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

The namesake false eyes and the white spectacles are perhaps the most prominent components of their elaborate wing patterning.

Common Buckeye, Jena, La Salle Parish

Common Buckeye, La Salle Parish

I've found these butterflies to be fairly common in a variety of habitats across the parts of central Louisiana that I've gotten to butterfly in so far.

   The Question Mark has a tiny, white question mark-like shape on the underside of the wing, which is otherwise brown camouflage.

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), Minnow Ponds Road,
 Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

The upper surface of the wings is pumpkin-orange with simple patterns of black spots and bars. The edges of the wings have an irregular contour which can also suggest a question mark shape. I've found them along roads in mostly wooded areas.

Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis), Snyder Road, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   The Eastern Comma is very similar to the Question mark. However, the pattern of spots on the upper surface of the Comma's wings differs slightly (count the spots on the front wings in the pictures) and there is a white comma/semicircle in place of the question mark on the undersurface (though the marks on the two species can be quite similar). They seem to like wet woods or adjacent areas.

Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit near Hwy 126, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana 

   I've seen these two species mostly in the spring and early summer.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), near Hwy 126, Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish



Red Admiral (wing detail),
 Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

  The Red Admiral is moderately common in this area and I've seen it in a variety of habitats, though usually in open areas or in the edge of woods. The background color is black and brown, but look for the prominent red-orange band on the front wings and along the trailing edge of the hind wings and the white spots near the tip of the front wings.


Red Admiral, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Grant Parish, Louisiana

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit,
Catahoula Parish

   The Painted Lady and American Lady are two similar species with complex and colorful patterns. The American Lady, which I've found much more frequently of the two, seems to be moderately common in the area and tends to be found in open areas such as weedy fields of wildflowers or road right-of-ways.
The coloring above is chiefly orange with heavy black markings and white spots near the wing tips, but below is a jumble of brown patches on whitish with a prominent salmon-pink wash to part of the front wing and a series of eye spots consisting of rings of black, gold, blue, and white along the trailing edge of the underside of both wings.

American Lady, Catahoula NWR Bushley Bayou Unit, Catahoula Parish 

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), La Salle Parish

Painted Lady, La Salle Parish

   The Painted Lady is at first glance very similar, but the differences in the pattern and coloring on the underwing add up to create a more intricate or tangled effect. The upper surface is similar to American, with orange, black, and white.
The underside of the wings sport numerous smaller black and brown patches than the American's, against a white background, with white veins like the American. There's a prominent area of orange-pink on the underside of the front wing and there are smaller and more numerous eye spots in the row toward the back edge of the wings. I've only successfully photographed this species in La Salle Parish.

wing close-up, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Southern Pearly-eye (Enodia portlandia), Sicily Island Hills Wildlife Management Area,
 Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

   One of my favorite finds was encountering the Southern Pearly-eye in the woods of Sicily Island Hills WMA in Catahoula Parish. Tom Pollock and I encountered a group of three pearly-eye -type butterflies while walking a trail and were able to get numerous -- albeit not very crisp -- photos of one individual. These woods are home to both Northern and Southern Pearly-eye. Ours was identified as Southern.

Southern Pearly-eye (Enodia portlandia), Sicily Island Hills WMA, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

   The general coloring of the underside of the wings is waves of light and medium brown. There's a series of prominent false-eye circles running up both wings. They consist of brown, gold, black, and white rings/circles, essentially surrounded by an area of white that spreads across part of both wings. The four eye-circles on the front wing are in a slightly crooked/bowed line, where as these on the Northern Pearly-eye would be in a straight line. The difference is subtle. However, all the differences in field marks between these two species seem to be quite subtle and I find them quite tricky to separate.
   The antennae bulbs, however, are orange on the Southern and typically black or partially black on the Northern. The Northern's bulbs can, however, be mostly orange in some populations, including those discovered living in the Sicily Island Hills a few years ago.

Southern Pearly-eye (Enodia portlandia), Sicily island Hills WMA, Catahoula Parish

   The wings seem to have a scalloped surface. There are gold/carmel and brown bands at the trailing edge.
   These butterflies are picky about their habitat: they inhabit wet forests where switch cane (the caterpillars' host plant/source of food) is present. They are presumably much less common than most or all of the other species covered in this blog post and are of some conservation concern.

habitat around Southern Pearly-eye location, Sicily Island Hills WMA, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly
 Garden, Grant Parish 

   I've only identified Little Wood-Satyr once. This was an individual seen during late May at Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden in Grant Parish. These little butterflies are generally fairly non-descript pale gray-brown with some brown lines. Each side, on both surfaces of the wings, there's four gold-ringed black eye marks with two small blue spots in the center, and additional smaller 'eyes' between those on the underwing. The actual eye is dark and bordered with white.

Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Kisatchie National Forest,
Grant Parish, Louisiana

Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Grant Parish

Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius) feeding on juice from
fallen pear, Jena, La Salle Parish 

   I've found the Carolina Satyr much more regularly and sometimes in considerable numbers. I find them in shady woods as well as edge habitat woodland-adjacent, and, so far, in Grant, La Salle, and Catahoula Parishes.
They are small and easy to over look, however. The color is gray-brown with some lines in slightly darker brown. The row of eye spots has some which are smaller, golden circles, and some more prominent ones which are larger and have black interiors with a small white or blue center spot.

Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius) feeding on juice from
fallen pear, Jena, La Salle Parish 

   Note their blue eyes and the orange antennae bulbs in the photos.

Carolina Satyr  (Hermeuptychia sosybius), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana 

The next entry will summarize the moths I've observed while learning my Lepidoptera this spring and summer. That will be posted soon!

Lepidoptera, Spring-Summer 2015 -- part 1: Butterflies, Hesperiidae through Pieridae

 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) nectaring on Lantana, Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden,
Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

   Early this year I decided to start making an effort to learn to identify butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) and to document what species I find and where I find them. I typically do this while simultaneously birding, so taking photos of the Leps is a huge part of it. This way, I can comfortably i.d. the Lep species later by comparing my photos from the field with those from various online guides. Its been a rewarding endeavor thus far, and I hope to become more competent as time passes. At this point there are still some photos I've taken that I can't assign with absolute certainty to any species, but suggestions by more experienced Lepidoptera enthusiasts and no small amount of time pouring through online photos and species descriptions have at least brought me to some 'likely' conclusions that will hopefully be confirmed or corrected in the future. These species will be identified as "tentative i.d." in the photo captions.
   I thought it would be a good idea to make a few posts (first two for butterflies, part three for moths) summing up what I've observed and learned so far this combined spring and summer season and to 'psych myself up' for doing some more serious searching in the field this fall. I've tried to include at least one diagnostic (though often not very aesthetically pleasing!) photo for each species I've been able to identify thus far, though a few escaped getting their pictures taken. Also, these observations are of course mostly from central Louisiana, though a few from a trip to southwestern Louisiana are also included as they may be of interest.
   I should also acknowledge, before going further, that I'd still be fumbling with a number of the i.d.'s were it not for the help/guidance of several more knowledgeable and experienced Lepidoptera enthusiasts . Also, I hope that these blog posts might encourage the reader, if not already interested in the subject, to do as I have and start learning about their area's Lepidoptera. It's really a lot of fun!

   I decided to go in roughly taxonomic order, by organizing the species by family but not always sticking to tax. order within each family. The accounts are casual and written by a novice and intended, for the most part, for the casual observer who might like to learn more and to generally show what species are being seen in this area. Written descriptions of physical appearance are general and accompanied by the photos. I'll make any corrections that are needed as I learn of them.

Skippers and their kin (Hesperiidae):

tentative i.d.: female Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Grant Parish, Louisiana

   Right off the bat, the toughest group for me when it comes to identification must be (if I may generalize) Hesperiidae. Though some are quite distinctive, many are very similar to one or several others of the family, making for a sometimes daunting task for a novice at butterfly i.d., such as myself. The Southern Cloudywing and its close relative, the Confused Cloudywing (tentative i.d. on both), are pictured below.

Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus) nectaring on Liatris sp., Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

tentative i.d.: Confused Cloudywing (Thorybes confusis), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

   The first, the Southern Cloudywing, is almost certainly correct, though the aptly-named Confused is a little more sketchy. Initially I had suggested it to be another Cloudywing species, the Northern Cloudywing. However, it was pointed out to me that the apparent white on the insect's face is likely indicative that it is a Confused. The two species, however, are pretty variable in there general markings and can be very similar to one another. This is compounded further by the blurriness of the photos.

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus),  Jena, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Silver-spotted Skippers, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   Happily, the Silver-spotted Skipper is more distinctive-looking. The bold white bands and orange patches on the long wings give it a quickly recognizable appearance. On the downside, they seem (at least in my experience) to be quite flighty, and flitting nervously about they can be difficult to successfully photograph.
   One of the first Hesp. species that I became familiar with this spring was Horace's Duskywing. I still have trouble successfully i.d.ing them often times, but they do seem to be quite common and a more experienced butterflier can tell them from their close kin, such as Juvenile's Duskywing.

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) nectaring on Coreopsis sp., La Salle Parish, Louisiana

They seem to be most common along gravel roads and dirt trails through woods or between wooded and open areas. I can confidently say I've seen them in both upland and bottomland areas and in La Salle, Grant, and Catahoula Parishes.

female Horace's Duskywing, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

tentative i.d.: male Horace's Duskywing, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

  

Common Checkered-Skipper, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

I have a good deal of trouble i.d.-ing some Duskywings that I've seen. Among those that I've seen that are currently stuck in the 'maybe/probably' category are Wild Indigo Duskywing and Zarucco Duskywing.
   The bulk of Hesperidids in our state seem to be comprised of Skippers. There's a daunting number of species, many of them similar to one another, but I find that they are some of the most fun to photograph and rewarding to i.d. once the identification is confirmed. Numerous along trails and roadsides in wooded and open areas is the Common Checkered-Skipper.

male Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

These attractive little butterflies have what can be loosely described as a sloppy black/brown-and-white checkered pattern on the wings, with the males displaying blue-ish gray shading on their back. I've seen a lot of these this summer (and a few this spring), first successfully photographing them in Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish, where I found them to be abundant in August.

Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Grant Parish, Louisiana

   Also photographed in the part of Kisatchie National Forest near Bentley and Work Center Road area (Grant Parish) were Dun Skippers and Swarthy Skippers. Both, I'd consider only tentatively i.d.-ed, though some more experienced butterfliers have expressed confidence in species assigned to these photos. Points that help distinguish them is the lighter, somewhat contrasting color of the wing veins and the wide gray fringe on the trailing edges of the wings of the Swarthy:

Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

and the red-gold wash to the head of the Dun, which contrasts with the darker brown wings:

Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Grant Parish, Louisiana

 

 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   Fiery Skipper, Least Skipperling, Sachem, and Southern Broken-Dash are among the skipper species that eschew the usual subdued browns for a flash of orange or yellowy-gold.

Least Skipperling (Copaeodes minima), Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) nectaring on Coreopsis sp., La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Southern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia otho),
 Grant Parish, Louisiana

I've found the Fierys to be fairly common in the areas I frequent.
   I find the Southern Broken-Dash to be quite a handsome species. The general coloring, though brownish, has a warm orange-ish hue to it. The lighter markings on the under surface of the wings are pretty subtle and likely overlooked if not seen up close, though the orange-and-black pattern of the upper surface is bold, though often not visible due to the wings being held closed/upright much of the time. So far, I've seen this species in Grant and La Salle Parishes.

Southern Broken-Dash nectaring on Lantana, Grant Parish, Louisiana

Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius), Sicily Island Hills WMA, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

Clouded Skipper, Jena, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   Clouded Skippers seem to be fairly common in this region as well. I've photographed a number of Clouded Skippers in the Jena area in La Salle Parish, Kisatchie NF in Grant Parish, and the Sicily Island Hills in Catahoula Parish. They are attracted to flower beds, but also not hard to find out in the woods away from developed areas.


Clouded Skipper, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

Swallowtails (Papilionidae):

Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden,
Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish, Louisiana

   Large, showy, and fairly familiar to the casual observer, the Swallowtails can be found quite easily in a variety of habitats. Some species, of course, show up more frequently than others, but at least one or two species can be found around most backyard flowerbeds, grassy fields, or woodland clearing if you keep your eyes open. The two that I've found to be most common around here are the Pipevine Swallowtail and the Spicebush Swallowtail. These are both large-ish, generally black butterflies with some amount of blue iridescence and white and orange spots in the wings. The Spicebush has a poorly defined light (blue, greenish, or whitish) 'V' or 'W' across the lower part of the back of the wings:

Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) nectaring on Butterfly Pea (Centrosema virginianum) blossom,
Sicily Island Hills WMA, Catahoula Parish, Louisiana

The underside of the hind wing has two rows of orange spots:

Spicebush Swallowtail, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

The Pipevine, on the other hand, has a single row of orange spots on the underside of the hind wings:

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Catahoula NWR HQ Unit, La Salle-Catahoula Parish line

and a much plainer upper surface (hindwing may show blue or green sheen):

Pipevine Swallowtail, Kisatchie National Forest, Grant Parish

   The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is probably one of the most familiar species of butterflies around, with practically everyone knowing of the 'Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly'. The wings are largely light yellow, above and below, with some black 'tiger stripes' and wide black trailing edge.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Snyder Road, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

   The Palamedes is the one I've encountered the least, having only found it on a couple of occasions at the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden in the national forest in Grant Parish. Large and generally black with patterns of golden-yellow lines, they are fairly distinctive looking.

Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes), Catahoula Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden,
 Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

The aptly named Giant Swallowtail is our largest butterfly. The upper side of the wings is largely black with a simple, distinctive pattern of yellow lines.

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), La Salle Parish, Louisiana

The underside of the wings is mostly pale yellow with black markings. I've seen these butterflies pretty regularly in this part of the state.

Giant Swallowtail, Snyder Road, La Salle Parish

Sulphurs and Whites (Pieridae):

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Kisatchie NF, Grant Parish

  The Sulphurs and their kin are, as a group, commonly seen and found most anywhere the sun shines and flowers bloom. The ubiquitous little lemon-yellow butterflies seen along roadsides in the warmer months are species from this family.
   The Cloudless Sulphur is common around here, and in my experience they are most reliably found and photographed by checking out patches of red flowers such as Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) and Bleeding Hearts / Turkscap (Malvaviscus arboreus). They are quite similar to the Clouded Sulphur, and some of the other yellow-colored Pieridae. 

Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) nectaring on Bleeding Hearts (Malvaviscus arboreus), Grant Parish

The Southern Dogface is one of these Sulphur-like species.

Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia), Catahoula NWR Willow Lake Unit, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

I've successfully photographed them on Catahoula NWR in La Salle Parish, but likely have encountered them in many locations without getting a good enough look at them to distinguish them from similar species. I've found what I believe was an Orange Sulphur while in the Sicily Island Hills in August, but unfortunately I was unable to photograph it or get a sustained up-close look at it.
   The appropriately-named Little Yellow is common in woods and clearings around here. I was lucky to have the first one that I photographed be a pale form female laying her eggs on Sensitive Plants. The females can be a very pale yellow -- almost white-ish -- or the more common yellow.

pale form female Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa) depositing egg, Jena, La Salle Parish

a pair of Little Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa) coupling, Jena, La Salle Parish, Louisiana

 

The males are yellow with a black patch on the back edge of the upper surface of the front wing.

male Little Yellow, Grant Parish, Louisiana

Great Southern White (Ascia monuste),
 Peveto Woods Sanctuary, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Both sexes have some small, smudgy, dark markings scattered around on the wings, black border on upper surface of hind wing, and a distinctive small blurry orange spot near the trailing edge of the underside of the hind wing. I often find them nectaring on small flowers in shady woodland edges, along trails, or fluttering across lawns and parks and the like.
   On a trip to Cameron Parish (southwest Louisiana) in early August, we found the Great Southern White to be very abundant. These pale, white-ish (with a blue-green tinge) butterflies with black edges to the upper part of the wings, were practically everywhere along the roads that we drove while birding that day. I managed to photograph a few -- in the Live Oak chenier woods and dense thickets of Peveto Woods Sanctuary and nectaring on flowers growing on the edge of the beach at East Jetty Park.

Great Southern White (Ascia monuste), East Jetty Beach / mouth of Calcasieu River, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

      The next blog entry -- part two of three in this Lepidoptera series -- will cover the rest of the butterflies that I've identified this spring and summer (up to end of August). That will be the Lycaenidae (Hairstreaks and their kin) and Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies, such as Monarch and the fritillaries).