Just starting to observe butterflies? The butterflies listed below are ones that are likely to be seen in Northern New Jersey and the New York City area.
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 |
Caterpillar Food Plants |
| |
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) |
>4-9 |
5-9 |
Golden zizia (Zizia aurea) |
| Often - 2 |
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) |
>4-m9 |
5-9 |
Wild Black Cherry, Tulip tree |
| Very frequent - 1 |
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) |
>3-<11 |
4-<11 |
Plants in the mustard (Cabbage) family |
| Occasionally - 3 |
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) |
>4-m9 |
5-9 |
Sassafras, Spicebush |
| Occasionally - 3 |
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) |
m4 - <11 |
5 - 11 |
False Indigo (Baptisia australis) |
| Occasionally - 3 |
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) |
m4 - <11 |
5 - 11 |
False Indigo (Baptisia australis) |
| |
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) |
>4 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Many, esp. pea and mallow families |
| |
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) |
>4 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Pea family: False Indigo (Baptisia australis) |
| Occasionally - 3 |
'Summer' Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon (neglecta)) |
m6 - <9 |
7 - 9 |
Flowers in many families |
| Occasionally - 3 |
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) |
5 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Asters |
| Often - 2 |
2 - Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) |
5 - <11 |
<4 - 5, 7 - <8 |
Nettles, elms, Hackberries, willows |
| Often - 2 |
2 - Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) |
3 - <11 |
5 - <6, >7 - <8 |
Willow and others |
| Often - 2 |
2 - American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) |
m4 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Composites, esp. Pearly Everlasting |
| Often - 2 |
2 - Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui) |
4 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Thistles and many other species
|
| Often - 2 |
2 - Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) |
m4 - 10 |
5 - 10 |
Nettles |
| |
Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela) |
m5 - 7 |
6 - 8 |
Grasses |
| |
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) |
>5 - <11 |
6 - 10 |
Milkweeds |
| |
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) |
5 - 9 |
>5 - 9 |
Black locust |
| |
Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) |
m5 - 9 |
6 - 9 |
False Indigo (Baptisia australis) |
| |
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) |
m5 - m9 |
6 - 9 |
Lamb's quarters and others |
| |
Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon) |
>5 - <9 |
6 - 9 |
Grasses |
