Spring Butterflies
Everyone is jazzed about butterflies this time of year, and for good reason! Some of Southern Ontario's prettiest butterfly species are out already. Learn about a few butterflies you might see from iNaturalist or other resources like www.ontariobutterflies.ca,
Then share what you see on hikes or close to home! Tip: Try using binoculars to get a closer look at butterflies before they flutter off. If you lose track of one, wait for a few minutes, as individuals will often circle back to revisit the same flower sources again soon.
Spring Azure
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/58556-Celastrina-ladon
This is one of the Blues, many of which form mutualistic relationships with ants that protect caterpillars in exchange for sweet excretions.
Cabbage White
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55626-Pieris-rapae
Lay their eggs on plants in the mustard family, may visit dandelions.
Mourning Cloak
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/56832-Nymphalis-antiopa
Adults can live up to 10 months! The ones you see now may appear ragged because the individuals overwinter as adults.
More butterfly info can be found in: The Butterfly Book, An Easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior, by Donald and Lillian Stokes/Ernest Williams. Little, Brown, and Company, Toronto. 1991.
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