I have missed butterflies this year more than in the past. I knew the numbers were declining but my garden usually attracts a wide variety and that reassures me. Not so this year and I find it disturbing. Far from knowing much about butterflies, I do know which ones are most common to my garden.

The Mourning Cloaks are the usually the first to appear in spring but I did not see one this year. Mourning Cloaks are unusual in that they can withstand colder temperatures more than most other butterflies, can live up to 10 to 12 months, enabling them on occasion to overwinter, which is why we see them early in the year. Mourning Cloaks actually prefer to feed on rotting fruit, and tree saps, another reason why they are visible in spring when saps are rising. Their black cloak of mourning camouflages well on tree bark, leaf litter and bare soil allowing them to elude early predators.

Some time after the Mourning Cloaks have made their apppearance I usually see the Yellow Swallowtails at about the time the Mock Orange and Lilac blooms, in June. I did see a couple this year but not the ususal abundance. There are many species of Swallowtails. The one we most commonly see here is the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. Swallowtails feed on the nectar of many flowers.

Sometime in the summer the Painted Lady (Monarch look-alike)makes an appearance. I have not seen any this summer. Still hoping.

Towards the end of summer there are usually plentiful Wood Nymphs to be seen. I have seen more Wood Nymphs than other varieties. As with Swallowtails and other groupings there are variations amongst the Wood Nymphs. (I could not find a reliable larval form photo.)

I believe this visitor to my garden this yea,r to be an Admiral but I am not 100% sure, I was happy to have this siting as I don’t commonly see them.

Of course the most abundant of all are the Whites, commonly called Cabbage Whites. Once again there are many variations but most will know the larval form as those solid green brassica devouring worms commonly found in the garden.

On a walk recently I was lamenting the loss of butterflies, when who should alight on my hand but this beautiful Fritillary. I like to think this was a message that all will be well but it could have been a cry for help. Either way this butterfly carried a message.

I was walking two dogs at the time so being able to focus on this gentle visitor was also somewhat of a magical occurence!

It is true that the population of these important pollinators in some cases have dropped by 90%. Monarchs, which do not visit my part of the world have seen their numbers drop dramatically. Butterflies, as with all insects play a huge role in the network of life . Climate change, the use of pesticides and monocultures have all played a part in this decline. Hooray for the gardeners who grow a variety of plants. In many ways these butterflies are dependent on us and the connections between us to keep the populations going. I hope next summer to see more of my garden butterfly visitors returning.

All photos of adult butterflies are my own but I thank various sources on the internet for larval form pictures.