Butterflies Decline at Coldwater Farm

Butterfly Decline in Arizona

Coldwater Farm butterflies have declined over the past few years.  This year (2015) was the worst with many of my butterfly/bee flowers going untended. For instance, Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa) were present only in late spring and early summer. In earlier years, the Mourning Cloaks were so abundant that I had nominated they to represent the Agua Fria River ecosystem. Perhaps butterfly numbers will rebound in 2016, but knowing nothing of the specific causes of the decline, I have no assurance they will. Click here for a checklist of the butterfly and moth species known to live in Arizona. Here are pictures of a few of the common butterflies and moths (Please excuse the fx experiments).

Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) on Butterfly Bush Red Admiral Butterfly Mourning Cloak Butterfly Black Swallowtail Butterfly Black Swallowtail Butterfly Monarch Butterfly Buckmoth Buckeye Butterfly Black Swallowtail Butterfly Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Black Swallowtail Butterfly Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf Black Swallowtail Butterfly Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Black Swallowtail Butterfly Buckeye Butterfly Buckmoth Moth Monarch butterfly at Coldwater Farm. Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Moth Cabbage White Butterfly Huge catterpillar Acmon Blue Butterfly (?) Tiny catterpillars on grape leaf Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Melissa Blue Butterfly? Two-tailed Swallowtail (AZ State Butterfly) Buckmoth Mourning Cloak FX