Return of the "Flying Flowers"

The first butterflies usually appear in my little section of Northwest Wyoming in late April. It is always a surprise to discover the bright splashes of color during days which are still often more like winter than summer. Almost always, the early arrivals are the Wyoming state butterfly, Sheridan's Green Hairstreak. They tend to disappear as quickly as they arrive and they are followed by a slow trickle of other species: Boisduval's Blue, Melissa Blue, then a Black Swallowtail or two, maybe a Crescent and a Checkerspot, gradually building in number and species until we get to mid-June and it suddenly seems like there are "flying flowers" everywhere! And once the Fritillaries and the Wood Nymphs arrive, the air is full of color and motion! 

Below are just a few of the species I see on a regular basis this time of year. 

Fritillaries on Sand Verbena

Northern Checkerspot on Blanket Flower

Ruddy Copper on Catamint

Grey Hairstreak

Juniper Hairstreak

Wood Nymph

Tiger Swallowtail collecting moisture

Butterflies and Wildflowers

One of the great things about growing old is that every year I realize how little I know. I figure that as long as I have so much still to learn, life will continue to be an adventure!

I have never found a reference book I really like for butterflies and moths of Wyoming and there seems to be little information on the web about these particular creatures in this area. We have lots of Fritillaries and Suphurs along with our share of Checkerspots and Wyoming Satyrs. We also see the occasional Painted Lady, Swallowtails and Question Marks but this year the biggest groups seem to be the Coppers and the Blues, both members of the "Little Butterflies" family. The range of colors of these tiny butterflies is amazing. Over the last couple days alone I have photographed at least three distinct patterns. 

Blue on Cota

Cota Flower

 The other discovery this year was Cota or Navajo Tea. I probably would never have noticed it if it wasn't for the Blues seeming to find it irresistible. At first I thought it was the remnant of a rayed flower but a little research convinced me the tiny yellow bloom is all there is. It is easy to overlook but the closer you study it, the more fascinating it appears.

Unlike butterfly books, I have a variety of wildflower references I find invaluable. Surprisingly, one I find extremely helpful is a book of flowers of the Texas Plains that I stumbled into a number of years ago. I have identified a large number of wildflowers on our property, including Cota, from the Texas book. These are plants that are usually not identified in books on Wyoming wildflowers.

Cota Plant

Blue on blooming sage

Blue variation