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).

Buckmoth

Huge catterpillar

Monarch Butterfly

Buckmoth

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Buckmoth

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Melissa Blue Butterfly?

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) on Butterfly Bush

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Red Admiral Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf

Moth

Acmon Blue Butterfly (?)

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Moth

Monarch butterfly at Coldwater Farm.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Cabbage White Butterfly

Buckeye Butterfly

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly)

Buckeye Butterfly

Mourning Cloak FX