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Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
- The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) is one of the most common and widespread swallowtail butterflies found throughout Massachusetts. With its distinctive yellow and black striped pattern, this large butterfly has a wingspan of 3-5 inches.
www.hummingbirdsplus.org › nature-blog-network › butterflies-in-massachusetts20 Types of Butterflies in Massachusetts – Nature Blog Network
- Red Admiral. Vanessa atalanta. Red Admirals have a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. The coloring is dark brown with a reddish circular band and white spots.
- Painted Lady. Vanessa cardui. Painted Lady butterflies have a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. The coloring is pinkish-orange, with dark brown to black markings near the wingtips and white spots inside the black markings.
- Monarch. Danaus plexippus. Monarch butterflies have a wingspan of 3.5 to 4 inches. Their recognizable coloring is a “stained glass” pattern of orange with black veins.
- American Lady. Vanessa virginiensis. American Lady Butterflies have a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches. The coloring of this species is a brilliant orange with dark borders and markings and white and purple spots.
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- Eastern Tailed-Blue
- Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
- Long-Tailed Skipper
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Mustard White
- Oak Hairstreak
- Mourning Cloak
- Monarch
- Painted Lady
Scientific name: Cupido comyntas One of the most common butterflies in Massachusetts, the eastern tailed-blue is a small, delicate butterfly that prefers open, sunny areas. The common name fits the male more than the female; the male is iridescent blue on his upper, often with a darker blue or whitish margin. The female, on the other hand, are brow...
Scientific name: Aglais milberti A medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan reaching 2 ½-inches, Milbert’s tortoiseshell is a striking butterfly with bold markings. Uppers are black with a thick band near the margin that fades into an orange and yellow ombre. A thin black margin lines the wings, sometimes broken up by pale blue spots. Females sometim...
Scientific name: Urbanus proteus A butterfly’s common name often gives a clue about the species itself; the long-tailed skipper is no exception! This species is a larger skipper, reaching over 2 ½-inches, with distinctive coloring and, yes, particularly long tails on the hind wings. Unlike many other butterflies, this species’ wings aren’t the colo...
Scientific name: Papilio glaucus Several swallowtail species inhabit various regions throughout the state, including the large, colorful eastern tiger. Reaching a wingspan of 4 ½-inches, it’s hard to miss when one is nearby. Its namesake is dark “tiger” stripes on the yellow upper wings, present in all males and most females (some females are nearl...
Scientific name: Pieris oleracea The mustard white reaches just over 2-inches and closely resembles its close relatives in the same family. The wing uppers are nearly pure white, although some variations of the species sport black spots on the forewings. The underside of the wings displays an interesting pattern of grayish-greenish “veins,” earning...
Scientific name: Satyrium favonius Hairstreaks are common throughout much of the state; the oak hairstreak is no exception. Like many other hairstreaks and Lycaenidae butterflies, this species is one of the smallest butterflies in Massachusetts and reaches no more than 1 ½-inches in wingspan. What it lacks in size, it makes up for with an interesti...
Scientific name: Nymphalis antiopa With wings folded, this medium-sized butterfly is unassuming with a brown, barklike underside lined with a white margin. Unfolded, this species’ wings display a deep, almost-maroon color with a bright yellow-to-white margin lined with blue dots on the inner edge. As its common name suggests, this butterfly appears...
Scientific name: Danaus plexippus Quite possibly the most revered and well-known butterfly species in the United States, the monarchis synonymous with habitat protection. This migratory species’ overwintering ranges in Mexico and parts of California are of particular concern. The monarch is a large butterfly, reaching nearly 5-inches in some adult ...
Scientific name: Vanessa cardui The painted ladyis a striking, medium-sized butterfly reaching nearly 3-inches. The upperside is deep orange to orangish-brown with wide black patches broken with irregular white spots on the tips of the forewings. The hindwings are lined with small black spots. At rest, the underside of the wings displays four eyesp...
- Monarch. Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are the most common butterflies in the state and many other North American regions. This species is commonly seen in milkweed.
- Small White. Small White butterflies (Pieris rapae) are a common sight in gardens and cabbage crops across the state. These butterflies feed on colorful flower nectar as adults.
- Black Swallowtail. Mock bishopweed is one of the most common host plants of this butterfly species (Papilio polyxenes). These butterflies stand out on plants given they have a mostly black color as adults and a green and black color as caterpillars.
- Small Copper. Common sorrel and sheep sorrel are some of the host plants Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas) can be seen around. These butterflies lay white eggs that grow into caterpillars right on the host plant.
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This page lists the butterfly species commonly found in Massachusetts along with several that sometimes stray here from afar. The species are organized by taxonomic family using the names from the NABA Checklist of North American Butterflies.
Identification. Wingspan: 47-58 mm. (see footnote*) The Tiger Swallowtail, including its northern subspecies, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, is the only large yellow butterfly in New England with vertical black stripes, and tails on the hind wings.
Mar 6, 2024 · Males are always a bright yellow color with black stripes and borders. Females are slightly darker yellow with more prominent black markings, and some are almost entirely black, with specks of light blue on the lower wings