BUTTERFLIES of EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS

Information by the  Massachusetts Butterfly Club and Butterflies of Massachusetts (BOM).
Links to Mass Audubon’s Butterfly Atlas data 1986-1990

Swallowtails (Papilionidae) -

Most species are specialists. Adults prefer to feed from taller flowers. Most prefer to have some trees near where they feed. For larvae: Spicebush and sassafras for spicebush swallowtails; parsley, carrots and Queen Anne’s Lace for black swallowtails; pipevines for pipevine swallowtails. Black cherry and aspen can attract female tiger swallowtails for egg laying, especially if good nectar plants are nearby. Other: male swallowtails love to visit puddles. *unique in behavior as they flutter while nectaring.

  • Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa – Uncommon to quite common – favorite host plant is Queen Anne’s Lace

  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa – Common

  • Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa - Fairly common to quite common - Caterpillars easily found in folded leaf. HOST PLANTS - Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Sassafras

Whites and Sulphers (Pieridae) -

Whites are sulphers are not hard to attract. They love wide-open areas. In spring they visit dandelions and winter cress; in summer, red clover and loosestrife are favorites, in fall, asters. Female whites lay their eggs on members of the mustard family, which includes cultivated vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli and peas and wildflowers like marigolds, winter cress, mustards and peppergrass.        

  • Cabbage White, Pieris rapae - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa – Common to Abundant. Eurasian species.

  • Clouded Sulpher, Colias philodice - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Larva – Common to Abundant. HOST PLANTS - white/sweet clovers and vetches.

  • Orange Sulpher, Colias eurytheme - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Larva – Common to Abundant. HOST PLANTS - white/sweet clovers and vetches.

Gossamer-wings (Lycaenidae) -

“The Lycaenids are all small butterflies and includes the blues the harvesters, the hairstreaks the coppers and the metalmarks. It is easy to encourage many species of lycaenids in suburbia because their hosts are common landscape plants,” (Tallamy). Sheep sorrel clover, yarrow, butterfly weed, and curled dock attract Coppers and Metalmarks. Banded hairstreaks and brown elfins prefer forest edges where they feed on a variety or flowers from woodland shrubs and wildflowers. Adult blues can be found in a variety of habitats, mostly open with legumes where they feed on mustards, cinquefoilds, clovers asters and vetch.

  • Harvester, Feniseca tarquinius - Statewide except Cape and Islands -  Overwintering Larva - Uncommon to rare – larvae eat aphids that attack ash, beech, alder, hawthorn and witch hazel.  

  • American Copper, Lycaena phlaeas – Statewide (introduced from Europe) – Overwintering Larva - Common to abundant – introduced dock, especially sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella).

  • Bog Copper, Lycaena epixanthe - Statewide except Berkshire and Suffolk counties – resident -  Overwinter Egg, Locally common to abundant. HOST PLANTS - Lg/sm. cranberries. NECTAR - Black-eyed Susan.

  • Eastern Pine Elfin, Callophrys niphon - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa – Fairly common to Common

  • Brown Elfin, Callophrys augustinus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Pupa – Fairly common to Common

  • Acadian Hairstreak, Satyrium acadica - Statewide except for MV and Nantucket – resident – Overwintering egg – Uncommon - Like many hairstreaks, found most easily at milkweed and dogbane flowers

  • Banded Hairstreak, Satyrium calanus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering egg - Common to abundant.

  • Coral Hairstreak, Satyrium titus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering egg - Uncommon to fairly common - HOST PLANTS - Prunus, Aronia. NECTAR PLANTS - Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, New Jersey Tea, or Meadowsweet.

  • Edwards Hairstreak, Satyrium edwardsii - Statewide – resident – Overwintering egg – Locally common in Eastern MA - Always associated with Scrub Oak. HOST PLANTS - Oaks. NECTAR PLANTS - Meadowsweet, White Sweet Clover, Wild Indigo, and various milkweeds and dogbanes.

  • Gray Hairstreak, Strymon melinus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering pupa – Uncommon to fairly common - Very variable in numbers from year to year – Legume, Wild Indigo.

  • Juniper Hairstreak, Callophrys gryneus - Primarily eastern MA – Overwintering pupa - Locally fairly common; closely associated with Eastern Red Cedar

  • Striped Hairstreak, Satyrium liparops - Statewide – resident – Overwintering egg – Fairly common.

  • Summer Azure, Celastrina ladon - Statewide - resident [Both the Spring and Summer forms] – Overwintering pupa - Spring form: common to abundant / Summer form: rare to uncommon

  • Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon - Statewide - resident [Both the Spring and Summer forms] – Overwintering pupa - Spring form: common to abundant / Summer form: rare to uncommon – eats flower parts of dogwood, snakeroot, viburnum, and blueberry flowers.

  • Eastern Tailed-Blue, Everes comyntas - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva - Common to locally abundant - HOST PLANTS - Legumes, vetches, ticks-trefoils, and clovers.

Brush Footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) -

The largest family & appear to only have 4 long legs.. These butterflies prefer open woods. In spring you may try breaking a small branch of a birch or maple to attract them to the dripping sap. Larvae feed on nettles. Elms and hackberries also attract some of these species. Log piles, brush piles or loose bark attached to trees may provide overwintering for adults. Painted ladies and buckeyes prefer open areas with low vegetation and a variety of flowers from which to sip nectar. Buckeyes also need bare earth such as a dirt road or disturbed area where males can perch while seeking mates. Red admirals need moist edges where adults court and feed on sap. Fritillaries and pearl crescents love to sip nectar at large composites like black-eyed Susan’s and daisies. Fritillary larvae like violet. Admiral larvae prefer the Willow family including aspens, willows, cottonwoods and poplars.

  • Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia - Statewide – migrant - rare, ocasionally abundant.

  • Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele -- Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva - Fairly common to common - HOST PLANT - violets. NECTAR PLANTS - many including milkweeds, Joe-Pye weed, thistles, clover, frequent visitor to gardens.

  • Silver-bordered Fritillary, Boloria selene - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva - Uncommon to fairly common - All populations of this perhaps dwindling species need to be reported.

  • Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes tharos - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva – Common to abundant - Disappears between broods but usually one of our most common butterflies - asters

  • Baltimore Checkerspot, Euphydryas phaeton - Statewide, except Nantucket – resident – Overwintering larva – Uncommon to abundant - HOST PLANT - turtlehead, white ash, English plantain, hairy beardtongue. NECTAR PLANTS - milkweeds, Black eyed Susan, and Queen Anne‘s Lace.

  • Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis - Statewide – migrant – Overwintering adult.

  • Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma - Statewide – resident – Overwintering adult - Variably very uncommon to fairly common – elm trees

  • Compton Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis vaualbum - Statewide – resident – Overwintering adult - Variably uncommon to fairly common

  • Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa - Statewide – resident – Overwintering adult - Common statewide. HOST PLANTS - various trees. NECTAR - mainly on sap

  • American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis - Statewide – migrant - Variably uncommon to very common- HOST PLANTS - pussy toes (Antennaria species), pearly everlasting. Overwinters as adult of pupae in leaf litter.

  • Painted Lady, Vanessa cardu - Statewide – migrant - Very variably uncommon to common- does not overwinter in MA.

  • Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta - Statewide – migrant - Variably uncommon to abundant. HOST PLANTS - nettles and Pennsylvania pellitory. NECTAR - sap, goldenrods, Joe-Pye weed, milkweed, meadowsweet.

  • Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia - Statewide – migrant - Variably very uncommon to fairly common. Does not overwinter in MA.

  • Red-spotted Purple / White Admiral, Limenitis arthemis - Statewide- Overwintering larva - Fairly common to common. HOST PLANTS - trees. Both forms feed primarily at rotting fruit, sap, and animal droppings

  • Vicerory, Limenitis archippus - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva - Fairly common

  • Monarch, Danaus plexippus - Statewide – migrant - Population in severe decline. See Xerces Society for more information.

Skippers (Hesperioidea) –

Most common visitors to our garden and important pollinators. Fast flying, thick set. Skipping from flower-to-flower. Area attracted to monocots like grasses. Most are brown and do not attract much attention.

  • Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus  - Statewide – resident – Overwintering pupa - Common to abundant

  • Hoary Edge, Achalarus lyciades, Statewide, except Cape and Islands – Resident – Overwintering larva - Uncommon

  • Northern Cloudywing, Thorybes pylades - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva

  • Horaces’s Duskywing, Erynnis horatius - Statewide – resident – Overwintering larva

  • Wild Indigo Duskywing, Erynnis baptisiae - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva - Uncommon to common

  • Common Sootywing, Pholisora catullus - Statewide except Nantucket – resident – Overwintering larva - Uncommon to fairly common

  • Least Skipper, Ancyloxypha numitor - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva - Fairly common to abundant

  • Leonards Skipper, Hesperia leonardus - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva - Uncommon to fairly common

  • Cobweb Skipper, Hesperia metea - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Larva and Pupa - Common to abundant

  • Peck’s Skipper, Polites peckius - Statewide – resident – Overwintering Larva and Pupa - Common to abundant

  • Tawney-edged Skipper, Polites themistocles - Statewide (except Nantucket?) – resident – Overwintering pupa - Fairly common

  • Crosslined Skipper, Polites origenes - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva – Fairly common

  • Long Dash, Polites mystic - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva – Common

  • Northern Broken Dash, Wallengrenia egeremet - Statewide (except Nantucket?) – resident - Overwintering larva - Common to abundant

  • Little Glassy Wing, Pompeius verna - Statewide (except Islands) – resident – Probably larva - Uncommon

  • Delaware Skipper, Anatrytone logan - Statewide(except Islands) – resident – Overwintering larva or pupa - Fairly common to abundant. HOST PLANTS - Little/big Bluestem, Panicum sp.

  • Mulberry Wing, Poanes massasoit - Statewide except Cape and Islands – resident – Overwintering ? - Uncommon

  • Hobomok Skipper, Poanes hobomok - Statewide (except Nantucket?) – resident - Overwintering both as larva and chrysalis - Fairly common to abundant. HOST PLANT - Panicum sp.

  • Broad-winged Skipper, Poanes viator - Statewide – resident – Overwintering maybe larva - Fairly common to common

  • Black Dash, Euphyes conspicua - Statewide, except Islands – resident - Overwintering larva - Uncommon to fairly common - Swamp Milkweed is a great attractant for this butterfly

  • Dun Skipper, Euphyes vestris - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva - Common to abundant. Associated with wetlands.

  • Dusted Skipper, Atrytonopsis hianna - Statewide – resident - Overwintering larva – Fairly common. HOST PLANTS - Little/big Bluestem, Panicum sp. NECTAR - wild geranium.