The Butterflies of 2025

Northern Crescent

A highlight of 2025 (as with many years) was observing and photographing butterflies. Even a short span of time tracking and counting the various species is fun, cathartic, and physically and mentally refreshing and healthful. The butterflies (and one moth) included here are among many I saw and reported to wisconsinbutterfies.org this past year. They're included in roughly the order I observed them—from spring through fall.

I'll keep the words short and let the fascinating winged creatures speak for themselves:

Coral Hairstreak

Common Wood-Nymph

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Baltimore Checkerspot

Bronze Copper

Luna Moth

Gray Comma

Eastern Tailed-Blue

'Summer' Spring Azure

Great Spangled Fritillary

Hackberry Emperor

Least Skipper

Monarch

Orange Sulphur

Black Swallowtail

Pearl Crescent

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Meadow Fritillary

Cabbage White

Viceroy

Cabbage White

Monarch

Clouded Sulphur

Red Admiral

Sachem

Monarch

All butterflies (and the Luna Moth) shown here were observed at local natural areas, botanical gardens, and on our property. Here's to another great year of beautiful and graceful inspiration!

The Butterflies of 2024

Monarch

Happy New Year!

It's winter outside my door, of course, but during the "warm" months, I enjoy tracking and counting butterflies during my hikes and garden adventures, and then reporting my sightings to wisconsinbutterflies.org.

This post includes a few of my butterfly sightings of the past year. There were many more; I tried to include one photo of each species, but I included two monarchs (and some monarch eggs) and two common buckeyes...just because. I also saw some great spangled fritillaries, but the photos were not good. And, of course, I saw many more butterflies that I didn't photograph.

This exercise reminds me why I so enjoy spring, summer, and fall in my part of the world. Winter, meh. Anyway, here goes...

 

American Lady

Black Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Common Buckeye

Fiery Skipper

Eastern Tailed Blue

Least Skipper

Monarch

Monarch Eggs (and Ant)

Mourning Cloak

Common Buckeye

Northern Broken Dash

Orange Sulphur

Painted Lady

Eastern Comma

Pearl Crescent

Red Admiral

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Red-Spotted Purple

Sachem

Clouded Sulphur

Summer Spring Azure

Viceroy

All photos were taken in local natural areas, at botanical gardens, and on my own property. I miss the butterflies, and I look forward to many sightings in the year ahead.