Not all the same...

If this warm weather has you excited for butterflies- you can join my club.  Well, I don't really have a club, but if I did it would be for chasing butterflies!  I first got interested in them when I was a child, and now I like to make road trips to see unusual species.  Basically any excuse for travel is good, so why not "butterfly sight-seeing?"

The Karner Blue

 You'll need to drive towards Toledo, Ohio and the Oak Openings to see the Karner Blue Butterfly. One of the Nature Conservancy's properties call Kitty Todd is ground zero for this blue.  Its host plant is Wild Blue Lupine, so make certain you visit around "Blue Week" when the lupines are blooming and one of Ohio's rarest butterflies fly.

The Common Buckeye

You'll have to wait for summer to see the Buckeye, as it migrates north from southern states.  They cannot winter over here, so this butterfly will arrive in July or August, unless it gets hot early.

A local favorite the Red-Spotted Purple. 

One of our local butterflies is the Red-Spotted Purple.  They are common to wood lots and back yards, their host plants are cherry trees and willows. The little spotted butterfly in the background is a Pearl Crescent. Its host plant is flowering asters!

If you like butterflies, I hope you will take time to follow this link and send a message to Save Ohio Butterflies.  https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=13345

The Sierra Club and I want you to know our government agencies plan to spray for Gypsy moths- and they won't only be killing one moth species.  They will wipe out any and all butterflies in the area as well.

Spraying will begin early this spring and impact caterpillars of all varieties in Ohio. Areas all across Ohio will be impacted with this non-specific aerial spraying, and if we don't act now - there will be a lot less butterflies to enjoy this summer. Other alternatives such as pheromone flakes or Gypchek only affect the gypsy moth and would protect native butterflies. 

There are other better alternatives.  Help us encourage Ohio to do the right thing! Click the link above!