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The butterflies listed below and described will be found in most of North America. I will also list the nectar and host plants for these butterflies.
American Painted Lady (V. virginiensis)
Host plants: Painted lady: thistle, pearly everlasting, knapweed, burdock, sunflower, wormwood, borage, and members of the mallow family including hollyhocks
American painted lady: pearly everlasting, burdock and wormwood
Nectar plants: Thistle, zinnia, heliotrope, butterfly bush and mint
Natural habitats: Painted lady: deserts, meadows and mountains
American painted lady: open areas, meadows and stream banks
Buckeye (Junomia coenia)
Host plants: Plantain, snapdragon, sedum, verbena
Nectar plants: Many, including composites such as aster, chickory, coreopsis, milkweed and sunflower
Natural habitats: Open areas, meadows, fields, roadsides.
European Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)
Host plants: Broccoli, cabbage, nasturtium and mustard
Nectar plants: Aster, dogbane, dandelion, lantana, milkweed, mint and red clover
Natural habitats: Agricultural fields, plants, vegetable gardens and woodlands
Fritallaries: Great spangled (Speyeria cybele), variegated (Euptoieta claudia) and silver bordered (Clossiana selene)
Host plants: Violet
Nectar plants: Black-eyed susan, dogbane, loose-strife, milkweed, and purple coneflower
Natural habitats: Open areas, fields, forest edges
Hummingbird Sphinx Moth (Hemaris thysbe)
Host plants: Viburnum, snowberry
Nectar plants: Four o'clocks, lilacs, Nicotiana, and petunias
Natural habitats: Open areas where host plants grow; moths are visible during the day.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Host plants: Milkweed
Nectar plants: Butterfly bush, cosmos, lilac, lantana, milkweed, and mints
Natural habitats: Open areas, meadows, fields, roadsides and marshes
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Host plants: Ash, elm, poplar and willow
Nectar plants: Buddleia, dogband and shasta daisy
Natural habitats: Open woodlands, river bands and forest edges.
Orange Sulphur (C. eurytheme)
Host plants: Many legumes, alfalfa, clovers, trefoil, and vetch
Nectar plants: Alfalfa, aster and clover
Natural habitats: Fields, meadows and lawns
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Host plants: Pipevines (Aristolochia)
Nectar plants: Azalea, butterfly bush, honeysuckle,lanta, lilac, phlox, thistle and verbana
Natural habitats: Forests, fields, roadsides
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Host plants: Nettle family
Nectar plants: ageratum, butterfly bush, dandelion, milkweed, red clover, rotting fruit and tree sap clover
Natural habitats: Open woodland, forest edge, meadows, streambanks
Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)
Host plants: Pea family, including kudzu, locust, tick-trefoils, wisteria but not garden peas or beans.
Nectar plants: Honeysuckle, iris, milkweed, thistle, red clover, and zinnia
Natural habitats: Open woodlands, roadsides, suburban yards.
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
Host plants: black snakeroot, black snakeroot, blueberry, cherry, dogwood, sumar and viburnum
Nectar plants: blackberry, cherry, cottoneaster, dogwood, forget-me-not, holly, ivy, privet, spice-bush, violet and willow.
Natural habitats: Open woodlands, fields, roadsides, freshwater marshes, suburban yards.
Tiger Swallowtails, Eastern tiger (Papilio glaucus), Western tiger (P. rutuls) and two-tailed tiger (P. multicaudata)
Host plants: Willow, aspen, cherry, poplar, green ash
Nectar plants: Buddleia, thistle, milkweed, lilac, honeysuckle, phlox
Natural habitas: Woodlands, streamsides, roadsides
Tomato Hornworm Spphinx Moth (Manduca quinquemaculata)
Host plants: Tomatoes, tobacco, potatoes, peppers, eggplant
Nectar plants: Nicotiana, petunia datura, four o'clocks and phlox
Natural habitats: Agricultural fields, garden; moths seen mostly at dusk and night.
If you learn the nectar plants (for the adults) and host plants (for the caterpillars) you will increase sightings of these beautiful butterflies.
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