Butterfly Decline in Arizona
Coldwater Farm butterflies have declined over the past few years. This year (2015) was the worst with many of my butterfly/bee flowers going untended. For instance, Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa) were present only in late spring and early summer. In earlier years, the Mourning Cloaks were so abundant that I had nominated they to represent the Agua Fria River ecosystem. Perhaps butterfly numbers will rebound in 2016, but knowing nothing of the specific causes of the decline, I have no assurance they will. Click here for a checklist of the butterfly and moth species known to live in Arizona. Here are pictures of a few of the common butterflies and moths (Please excuse the fx experiments).
Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Buckmoth
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) on Butterfly Bush
Cabbage White Butterfly
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Buckeye Butterfly
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Buckmoth
Monarch Butterfly
Buckeye Butterfly
Monarch butterfly at Coldwater Farm.
Moth
Huge catterpillar
Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf
Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf
Red Admiral Butterfly
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Acmon Blue Butterfly (?)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
Moth
Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Melissa Blue Butterfly?
Mourning Cloak FX
Buckmoth
Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)
