Habitat & Diet

Introduction Butterflies in Southern California can appear almost anywhere there is warmth, sunlight, shelter, and the right plants. You may see a monarch drifting over milkweed, a gulf fritillary flashing orange around passionflower vine, a painted lady moving quickly through spring wildflowers, or a small skipper darting low over a lawn. The region’s butterfly life is especially rich because Southern California includes many overlapping habitats: coastal sage scrub, chaparral, urban gardens, foothill canyons, desert washes, mountain meadows, and tree-lined neighborhoods. For beginners, the best way to start is not by memorizing every species. It is to learn a few common … Read more

When most people picture a butterfly feeding, they imagine it floating from flower to flower, gently sipping nectar. That picture is accurate — but it is not the whole story. So, what do butterflies drink besides nectar? Adult butterflies mainly drink nectar because it gives them the sugary energy they need for flying, mating, and migration. But many butterflies also visit tree sap, rotting fruit, damp soil, mud puddles, sweat, and even animal droppings to get minerals, salts, and extra nutrients they cannot always find in flowers. It may sound strange at first, but once you understand how butterflies feed, … Read more

There is something unmistakably summery about seeing butterflies drift across a garden border or settle on a patch of wildflowers. If you have ever paused beside a hedge, a meadow, or even a small urban garden and wondered what you were looking at, this guide to common butterflies in the UK is a good place to start. The UK has a surprisingly rich butterfly population, and some species are regular visitors to gardens, parks, hedgerows, and woodland edges. The nice thing is that you do not need to be an expert to begin identifying them. In fact, a slightly overcast … Read more