This is the time of year that butterflies are numerous in many places including
Shenandoah National Park.
On my recent hikes in the park I have taken many butterfly photos.
Here are a few of my favorites!
The Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly is extremely striking.
The bold orange and black pattern demands attention.
The male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail with a wingspan of 4 to 5 inches is slightly smaller
than the female.
The female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is distinguished by the blue coloration
on the bottom portion of the hind wings.
The female Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly is also distinguished by the
additional blue coloration.
If you look closely you will see the faint under markings on the wings of the
Spicebush Swallowtail.
Slightly smaller than the swallowtails, the Red-Spotted Purple butterfly
is one of my personal favorites because of the brilliant blue coloration.
The little Summer Azure butterfly barley the size of a dime,
also has a beautiful blue coloration on the top side of its wings,
this is best seen when the butterfly is in flight.
Many moths are also out in the woodland at this time of year.
This Lichen Moth is not a typical moth,
the bright orange coloration gives it a more butterfly like appearance.
This little brown moth has more typical characteristics.
This moth belongs to the "Drepanidae" family.
This family contains about 660 species worldwide.
The Luna Moth with a wingspan of 4.5 inches long, is the king of the moths.
Luna Moths use black walnut trees as a preferred host for their eggs.
As soon as the caterpillar turns into a moth, it will no longer eat.
The moth will live in this winged state for only about a week,
flying at night in search of a mate.
I hope you enjoyed these photos, and they inspire you to take a closer look at the
little winged creatures around you.
