Hi, Let’s learn some butterflies that are common in and around Seattle.

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Here’s an easy one, the Tiger Swallowtail

Stripes like a what? (Tiger) And, look at the tails.

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The Cabbage White is one of the most common butterflies

here

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Here’s a Mourning Cloak, wings with golden edges

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Are you paying attention?

There’s going to be a quiz!

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: )

Here’s the Lorquin’s Admiral - black & white with orange wing tips

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The Woodland Skipper is a tiny little butterfly common in late summer.

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In some years many California Tortoiseshells migrate here from farther south. If you see an orange butterfly on a sunny winter day, it’s probably a California Tortoiseshell coming out of hiding. NextBack

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Here’s the Painted Lady

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Here’s the Red Admirable, often called the Red Admiral. (But the Admirals are a totally different group of butter-flies.)

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Here’s another tortoiseshell, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

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OK. Quiz time!

Ready?

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Woodland Skipper

Tiger Swallowtail

Lorquin’s Admiral

Nope! A Woodland Skipper looks like this.

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Remember the stripes and tails? Here’s a Tiger Swallowtail

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Right! The Lorquin’s Admiral

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Monarch

Tiger Swallowtail

California Tortoiseshell

A lot of people think that it’s a Monarch. But Monarchs are orange and black. If you see one here, it was probably released from a wedding ceremony. (Not a good idea.) Try again

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Right! To be specific, it’s a Western Tiger Swallowtail. In this region we also have

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Pale Tiger Swallowtails

Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtails.

(Two tails on each side)

Try again. A California Tortoiseshell looks like this.

Try again

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Painted Lady

Red Admirable

Lorquin’s Admiral

Very good! A Painted Lady

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Sorry, a Red Admirable looks like this

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Come on. Get serious! You already correctly identified the Lorquin’s Admiral. (This guy)

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Mourning Cloak

Lorquin’s Admiral

Red Admirable

Nope! Here’s a Mourning Cloak

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Correct again! A Red Admirable

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Start OverWhat??? You’re guessing Lorquin’s Admiral again? This is a Lorquin’s Admiral.

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Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

Painted Lady

Mourning Cloak

Same shape. But notice that Milbert’s Tortoiseshell has a wider band that’s orange.

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Oops! You already identi-fied the Painted Lady. Try again.

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Good! A Mourning Cloak.

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Red Admirable

Woodland Skipper

Cabbage White

You’re guessing, aren’t you? Here’s the Red Admirable (again).

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Right you are! The Woodland Skipper

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Come on. That one wasn’t even white! Here’s a Cabbage White.

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Cabbage White

Lorquin’s Admiral

Woodland Skipper

Right! Most of the white butterflies you see around here are Cabbage Whites.

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No way! Here’s a Lorquin’s Admiral

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Naw! The Woodland Skipper is a little brownish guy

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California Tortoiseshell

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

Red Admirable

Try again. A California Tortoiseshell looks like this.

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Right! The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, with a wide band of orange.

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A little bit similar. But the Red Admirable has red bars on its forewings instead of an orange band.

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California Tortoiseshell

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

Monarch

Great! You identified the California Tortoiseshell

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Not quite. Milbert’s Tortoiseshell has an orange band.

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No. The Monarch is orange with black stripes.

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OK. Now it gets hard!

Let’s see if you can learn what caterpillar turns into each butterfly.

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The Western Tiger Swallow-tail larva is smooth with a big eye spot

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Cabbage White, with smooth green larva (sometimes found in your salad!)

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The little Woodland Skipper is another species with a smooth larva (almost the color of the

adult)

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Lorquin’s Admiral larva has “horns” up front.

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Red Admirable has a spiky caterpillar

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Painted Lady has a spiky caterpillar with red splotches.

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Red Admirable

Lorquin’s Admiral

Cabbage White

No. The Red Admirable caterpillar has spines.

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Right! This is the larva of a Lorquin’s Admiral (& eats willows, poplars, and ocean spray).

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No. The cabbage white larva is also smooth but green, not tapered, and has no “horns.”

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Painted Lady

Woodland Skipper

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Oops! This is the Painted Lady larva. Try again.

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Not so. This is the larva of the Woodland Skipper.

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Very good! (Larvae of the Western Tiger Swallowtail feed on willows and poplars.)

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Red Admirable

Painted Lady

Cabbage White

Sorry. This is the Red Admirable’s larva

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Your are correct! Larvae of the Painted Lady feed on thistles, mallows, and pearly everlasting.

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Sorry. Here’s the Cabbage White larva

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Lorquin’s Admiral

Woodland Skipper

Cabbage White

Wrong. Here’s the larva of the Lorquin’s Admiral

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Right! Larvae of the Woodland Skipper feed on grasses.

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Not Correct. Here’s the larva of the Cabbage White.

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Cabbage White

Woodland Skipper

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Correct. Larva of the Cabbage White feed on members of the cabbage family.

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Not so. This is the larva of the Woodland Skipper.

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Oops! The Western Tiger Swallowtail larva is tapered and has an eye spot.

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Thanks for playing our butterfly identification game, presented by

The Washington Butterfly Association wabutterflyassoc@earthlink.net

For noncommercial and educational use, feel free to copy and share this program

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www.naba.org/chapters/nabaws