Common Butterflies Seen in Yards and Gardens in eastern Kansas
Just starting to observe butterflies? The butterflies listed below are ones that are likely to be seen in gardens throughout eastern Kansas.
In the table below, the numbers in "Flight Period" and "Caterpillar Season" correspond to the month (4 = April, 5 = May, etc.), with < meaning earlier in the month, m the middle of the month, and > late in the month.
Expected Frequency of Sighting |
Name |
Flight Period |
Caterpillar Season |
Native Caterpillar Food Plants |
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Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) |
4 - 7 |
4 - 6 |
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1 |
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) |
4 - frost |
4 - frost |
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Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
|
5 - 9
|
4 - 7
|
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|
4 - 9 |
5 - 7 |
|
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Checkered White (Pontia protodice) |
4 - 9 |
5 - 8 |
Cabbage family plants |
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Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) |
4 - 9 |
4 - 9 |
Cabbage family plants |
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Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) |
3 - frost |
4 - 10 |
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2 |
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) |
5 - 10 |
5 - 9 |
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3 |
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) |
7 - frost |
8 |
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Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
4 - 9 |
5 - 8 |
Many plants including Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) |
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Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) |
4 - 9 |
4 - 9 |
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Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) |
4 - 9 |
4 - 9 |
Flowers in many families |
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American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) |
7 |
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Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) |
6 - 10 |
7 - 8 |
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Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) |
5 - 9 |
overwinters |
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Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) |
5 - 8 |
5 - 8 |
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Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis) |
5 - 9 |
5 - 7 |
Sunflowers (Helianthus) and Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia)
|
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Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) |
4 - 10 |
5 - 8 |
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Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) |
2 - 11 |
Hackberry( Celtis occidentalis) (adults attracted by rotten apples) |
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Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) |
3 - 11 |
Hops (adults attracted by rotten apples) |
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American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) |
5 - frost |
5 - 9 |
Everlastings |
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Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) |
5 - frost |
5 - 9 |
Thistles |
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Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
|
5 - 10
|
6-10
|
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Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) |
5 - 9 |
overwinters |
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Viceroy (Limenitis archuppus) |
5 - 10 |
6 - 9 |
Willow |
Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria)
|
4 - 10
|
|
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis)
|
6 - 9
|
Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)
|
6 - 9
|
6
|
Various grasses
|
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus) |
8-10 |
8 |
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Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) |
5 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
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Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) |
5 - 9 |
5 - 6 |
Legumes |