As promised, here are more photos from Saturday’s hike in Payson. In the first photo below, look for an arrow that shows just how tiny most of the butterflies were. The outing was a real treasure hunt! If I hadn’t been with people who knew what to look for, I’m sure I would have passed right by these little guys.
The next photo is a close-up of what we saw.
It was a treat to see the following caterpillar. After scouring my books and the internet, I’m guessing this is a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar. I also deduced this because we saw them on the trail. I included the only shot I got.
Update re this black butterfly. It is a Red Spotted Admiral also called Red Spotted Purple. As for the caterpillar, I still think it’s Black Swallowtail.
Click below to go to a slideshow of my best butterfly shots. The wind made getting sharp images a challenge so it was exciting to capture what I did. I also included a few shots of some bugs and flowers. Click on the the large photos to go to the next in line. The caption identifies them. I welcome corrections!
Update: corrections have been made. Thanks Janet! 🙂
What fun!!!! I thought you said it was windy? Sure doesn’t show in your photos. Really enjoyed the slideshow.
That was great! And you’re right about the wild geranium – pineywoods geranium (Geranium caespitosum).