Finally a more interesting Butterfly! But which is it?

According to the books this appears to be a Variegated Fritillary the other possibility is a Mexican Fritillary. Any expert input appreciated. These shot this afternoon D7200 75-300 4.5 5.6 hand held.

Was the butterfly in Montana, that will help narrow the possible species?

Its a Variegated Fritillary Euptoita Claudia.

Yes - central Montana. Thanks - too quick for me!

Actually butterflies have been great this last month both quantity and variety (for here). Two more new ones yesterday and I got a pretty fair mating sequence - others in flight.

Nice shots whatever they are.

I’m stacked out with Monarch caterpillars at the moment. The other day I counted 11 on one Swamp Milkweed alone. I’m in Pennsylvania I ought to add.

I’m stacked out with Monarch caterpillars at the moment.

I have a few patches of Milkweed I've preserved / observed for half a dozen years. So far nothing, and only two or three Monarchs in a good year. Got some decent shots recently on a butterfly attractor plant my wife put in her garden.

I’ve found that Common Milkweed is not very good but Swamp Milkweed is excellent and pretty easy to grow from seed. Orange Milkweed is great too but garden to grow from seed.

That should have been “harder” not garden.

 

Don’t you just love autocorrect.

I used to get hundreds of Monarchs and other butterflies on my Sedum (Hylotelephium) telephium (locally known as Frogs' bellies). Now hardly a one and just a few Tiger swallowtails (the dark form ( female?), also different from previous years),

We're on a kind of ecotone, with both northern and southern critters and plants. However, the more northern spp. we used to have in insects, are now mostly replaced by more southerly spp over the last half century.

Edited September 27, 2018 by JDMvW

I get the occasional Zebra Swallowtail - at least that is what they were called when I was a butterfly crazy kid, but for some reason, they just fly around fast and are gone before I can get to a camera, despite a lot of butterfly plants. We seem pretty stable here, water being more influential than temp, except at extremes. I suppose it is the fact we had lots of water & food, but comparatively few of the usual "yard birds" this year.

Now you're talking. The Zebra Swallowtails are my favorite of the Swallowtail family. I'm going to start planting PawPaw which is the food plant for the Zebra caterpillars. Every time I've seen one it's been in the vicinity of PawPaw's. Heres one from a few years ago.

 

 

Well, just goes to show you - memories from times long gone! Thanks for the photo - a dandy! Apparently, after seeing your butterfly and digging into the net - I have either Canadian Tiger or Two Tailed Swallowtail - haven't got close enough to see the detail differences - not a Zebra! Always delighted to be lead to learning something new.