A beautiful lupine blue butterfly browsing on the remains of some chamisa in the Sandia foothills.
Butterflies (and Moths)
West Coast Lady Butterfly
West coast ladies look much like painted ladies but, while the former are ubiquitous throughout much of New Mexico, the latter are more rarely seen. You can learn more about the various butterfly “ladies” here.
Mormon Metalmark
I saw numerous Mormon metalmarks on La Luz (in the Sandias) earlier today. These gorgeous little butterflies were focusing much of their attention on these small asters.
Sandia Hairstreak, 2023 Edition
One of the year’s first Sandia hairstreak butterflies rests on a blade of beargrass. Sandia hairstreaks are New Mexico’s state butterfly.