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Insects > Butterflies Spring and early Summer in northern Vermont initiate a season of growth of native wildflowers many of which are the food source for butterflies: leafy growth for caterpillars and nectar-bearing flowers for adults. This abundant food supply nourishes the wide array of species as they hatch, feed, metamorphose into adults, mate and lay eggs one or more times a year. Tiger Swallowtails One of the earliest butterflies to appear in early summer is the lovely Tiger Swallowtail, a large yellow butterfly with black markings and wing borders with blue and orange dots. We have two closely related varieties of Tiger Swallowtail in Vermont: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. Current taxonomy describes them as separate species, but they most likely evolved recently from a common ancestor.   Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, lays its eggs on wild black cherry and tulip tree and it ranges throughout the eastern United States from the Gulf Coast states north to southern Minnesota, the Midwest and to New England.  Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio Canadensis, lays eggs on birches and aspens and it ranges along the northern United States, through northern New England and across from western Canada to the eastern provinces. Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is slightly smaller than Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and has wider black stripes on the wings near the body. This extra black coloring may help retain heat from solar gain. Also, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail has a continuous tan marginal on the forewing. - Deborah Benjamin  For More Information
In recent years, several new field guides have been published with excellent illustrations, photos, range maps and descriptions that help in keying out these beautiful insects. There are about 120 species of butterflies known or suspected to be observed in Vermont. Two biologists are actively adding knowledge to the current status and distribution of butterflies in Vermont: Bryan Pfeiffer of Wings Environmental in Plainfield and Michael Blust of Green Mountain College in Poultney. See also: Vermont Nature News > Insects > Dragonflies & Damselflies  Habitat Wildlife Observation Tips
Look for butterflies on sunny days from early June – late Fall. Modern optical design advances have produced a new genre of binoculars called “close-focusing” binoculars. Traditional binoculars have a close focus distance of about 15’; now binoculars can focus as close as 4.5,’ which allows the spectator the opportunity to view butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies in dazzling detail.  Recommended Reading
Stokes Butterfly Book. The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification and Behavior. Donald and Lillian Stokes, Ernest Williams. Little, Brown. 1991 Butterflies Through Binoculars. The East. A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Eastern North America. Jeffrey Glassberg. Oxford University Press. 1999. This page was last updated on February 15, 2006 |
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