{"leps/leps":[{"id":"monarch","name":"Monarch","scientific":"Danaus plexippus","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Monarch_butterfly","adultId":"A large orange butterfly with black borders, black veins, and distinctive WHITE SPOTS on the black wing margins and forewing tips. Its black body has white spots. Slow, floating flight with wings often held in a shallow V glide.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A striking striped caterpillar with thin BLACK, YELLOW, and WHITE bands wrapping the body. Two pairs of long, black FILAMENTS (not spines) near the head and tail. Up to 2 inches long. Feeds openly on milkweed.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A tiny, ridged, pointed IVORY-WHITE egg laid singly on the underside of milkweed leaves. Pointed shape like a tiny turban or barrel with vertical ridges.","hosts":["Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)","Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)","Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)","Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepias perennis)","Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), non-native"],"nectar":"Fall-blooming flowers: Frostweed (Verbesina virginica), Goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), Gayfeather (Liatris), Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), Ironweed (Vernonia).","predators":"Birds, wasps, spiders, assassin bugs, ants, lacewing larvae, stink bugs, and parasitoid flies/wasps (especially tachinid flies). Its milkweed toxins deter most vertebrate predators.","status":"declining","facts":["Its Texas spring generation flies north from Mexico and lays eggs on Texas milkweed in March–April.","Its caterpillars store toxic cardenolides from milkweeds, making them and the adults poisonous to birds.","Its migratory populations have declined steeply, and in December 2024 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing it as Threatened.","Its fall migration through Texas relies on fall nectar plants like Frostweed (Verbesina virginica) and Goldenrod (Solidago altissima)."],"factRefs":{"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Monarch butterfly","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,9,10]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[4,5,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,8,9,10,11]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[3,4,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,10,11,12]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,9,10]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[4,5,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[7,8,9,10,11]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,8,9,10,11]}},"atRisk":{"status":"Proposed for federal listing as threatened (December 2024); a final decision is due by June 2030","threats":"The eastern migration has shrunk by more than 80% since the 1990s, and the western one by more than 95% since the 1980s. Prairie and weedy field edges across the Midwest became herbicide-sprayed corn and soybean monocultures, wiping out much of the milkweed its caterpillars need. Its winter forests in Mexico have been logged and degraded, and insecticides, extreme weather and climate change add to the losses. In the South, non-native tropical milkweed can keep monarchs breeding through winter and spread a harmful parasite.","quiz":[{"q":"What wiped out much of the milkweed Monarchs need across the Midwest?","a":"Prairie and field edges became herbicide-sprayed corn and soybean monocultures","wrong":["Deer and rabbits grazed the milkweed to the ground","Gardeners planted too much native milkweed","Cold winters killed the milkweed roots"],"why":"Milkweed once grew all through Midwest prairies and crop fields. Plowing up prairie and spraying herbicide-tolerant corn and soybeans removed most of it from the heart of the Monarch's summer breeding range."},{"q":"What threatens the forests where eastern Monarchs spend the winter?","a":"Logging and degradation of the high fir forests in central Mexico","wrong":["Wildfires in the Florida Everglades","Rising seas flooding the Texas barrier islands","Too much rain in the Amazon rainforest"],"why":"Almost all eastern Monarchs cluster in a few oyamel fir forests in Mexico's mountains. Logging thins the canopy that shelters them from cold and storms."},{"q":"How can planting non-native tropical milkweed on the Gulf Coast harm Monarchs?","a":"It stays green in winter, so they keep breeding and build up a harmful parasite","wrong":["Its sap is too weak to make caterpillars poisonous","Its flowers have no nectar for adults","It crowds out the Frostweed they need in spring"],"why":"Native milkweeds die back in winter. Evergreen tropical milkweed lets Monarchs keep breeding instead of migrating, and the parasite OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) builds up on the plants. Plant native milkweeds, or cut tropical milkweed back in fall and winter."}]},"refs":[{"label":"Monarch Joint Venture: Endangered Species Act status","url":"https://monarchjointventure.org/monarch-biology/status/esa"},{"label":"U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Monarch butterfly","url":"https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/monarchs"},{"label":"Monarch Joint Venture: Tropical milkweed","url":"https://monarchjointventure.org/images/uploads/documents/Tropical_Milkweed_Fact_Sheet.pdf"},{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"gulf-fritillary","name":"Gulf Fritillary","scientific":"Agraulis vanillae","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Gulf_fritillary","adultId":"A medium-large, elongated orange butterfly with LONG, NARROW wings. Its upper side is bright orange with black spots and lines; its underside is SILVER-SPOTTED. Brilliant metallic-silver patches flash in flight. Rapid, darting flight.","adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A DARK ORANGE-RED caterpillar with GRAY-BLACK longitudinal stripes and many branching BLACK SPINES covering its body. Its head is orange. Feeds openly on passionflower vines.","larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10],"eggId":"A tiny, yellow, TURBAN-SHAPED egg laid singly on passionflower leaves, stems, or tendrils. Its sculpted, ribbed shape looks like a tiny pumpkin.","hosts":["Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)","Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)"],"nectar":"Long-tubed flowers including Lantana, Porterweed, Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), Zinnias, and Mistflower.","predators":"Birds, wasps, spiders, assassin bugs, lizards, and parasitoid flies/wasps. Its passionvine toxins and spines give it moderate protection; some birds learn to avoid it.","status":"common","facts":["Its metallic silver wing undersides flash like mirrors in sunlight.","Its host plants are passionflowers (Passiflora spp.).","Its caterpillar is the bright orange, spined one you see all over {place} passionflower vines.","It is one of the most abundant butterflies in {place} gardens, and it cannot survive hard freezes, re-colonizing each spring."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[5,7,8,9,10,11]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10,11]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10,12]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]}},"range":"ALL -23a"},{"id":"zebra-longwing","name":"Zebra Longwing","scientific":"Heliconius charithonia","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Zebra_longwing","adultId":"A distinctive, elongated pale-yellow (not orange) butterfly with LONG NARROW wings crossed by bold BLACK STRIPES. Its flight is slow, feeble, and fluttery. Often in deep shade. Adults roost together at night in groups of up to 60.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A WHITE caterpillar with many black spots and long black spines along its body. It feeds on passionflower, biting off or laying silk over the leaves' defensive hairs.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"eggId":"A tiny yellow, elongated egg laid on the tender growing tips of passionflower.","hosts":["Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)","Yellow Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)"],"nectar":"Its extra-long tongue lets it feed on deep flowers: Lantana, Porterweed, and especially Purple Passionflower pollen, which it digests for nutrition.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, and parasitoid wasps. Its passionflower toxins and communal roosts help deter predators.","status":"uncommon","facts":["It roosts communally in groups of dozens each night. A rare butterfly behavior.","It is the state butterfly of Florida.","Its pale-yellow and black striped wings look nothing like orange heliconians.","It eats POLLEN (not just nectar), which is very rare among butterflies."],"range":"COAST STX -ROLL -HIGH -TRANS","factRefs":{"1":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Heliconius charithonia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_charithonia"}],"3":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Heliconius charithonia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_charithonia"}]},"refs":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Heliconius charithonia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliconius_charithonia"}],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]}}},{"id":"giant-swallowtail","name":"Giant Swallowtail","scientific":"Papilio cresphontes","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Giant_swallowtail","adultId":"{place}'s LARGEST butterfly (up to 6-inch wingspan): a dark brown-black butterfly with a striking diagonal YELLOW BAND across both wings and a yellow 'filled-in' tail edge. Its 'tail' on each hindwing is pronounced. It flies powerfully and high.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaId":"Called the 'ORANGE DOG': a large caterpillar that is a remarkable BIRD-DROPPING MIMIC. Brown and white with a blotched pattern. When threatened it everts a red-orange, foul-smelling OSmeterium (horn) from behind its head.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A large, smooth, pale-orange sphere laid singly on the UPperside of citrus and rue leaves. Its size (larger than most butterfly eggs) reflects the giant adult.","hosts":["Hercules' Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis)","Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata)","Citrus (Citrus spp.), garden","Rue (Ruta graveolens), garden herb","Trifoliate Orange (Citrus trifoliata), invasive","Colima (Zanthoxylum fagara)"],"nectar":"Large tubular flowers: azaleas, milkweeds, Lantana, butterfly bush, and native thistles.","predators":"Birds, spiders, assassin bugs, wasps, and parasitoid flies and wasps. Its bird-dropping camouflage and osmeterium are its main defenses.","status":"common","facts":["It is the largest butterfly in North America.","Its caterpillar is a bird-dropping mimic called the 'orange dog' on citrus.","It defends itself with a red, scaly, foul-smelling horn (osmeterium).","Its native host plants include Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) and Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata).","In 2014 its western form was split off as the Western Giant Swallowtail (Papilio rumiko); the two meet in Central Texas."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Papilio cresphontes","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_cresphontes"}],"4":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"},{"label":"Wikipedia: Papilio rumiko","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_rumiko"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"range":"ALL -STX -HIGH -TRANS","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"eastern-tiger-swallowtail","name":"Eastern Tiger Swallowtail","scientific":"Papilio glaucus","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Eastern_tiger_swallowtail","adultId":"A large, bright YELLOW butterfly with FOUR BLACK 'TIGER STRIPES' crossing each forewing, black wing borders with yellow spots, and BLUE-orange spots near the long 'tails.' Females can be DARK-FORM (all black with blue spots), a confusing variation.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaId":"When young, a BIRD-DROPPING MIMIC (brown and white); when mature, a GREEN caterpillar with a YELLOW EYESPOT ring and a swelling behind its head. It also everts an orange osmeterium.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A single, small, smooth GREEN sphere laid on the upperside of leaves of many host trees. Its green color camouflages it on leaf surfaces.","hosts":["Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)","Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)","Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)","Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)","Black Willow (Salix nigra)","Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)","American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana)","Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata)","Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)","Chickasaw Plum (Prunus angustifolia)"],"nectar":"Azaleas, milkweeds, thistles, Lantana, and Joe Pye Weed. It especially favors pink and purple tubular flowers.","predators":"Birds (especially when young), spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoid wasps and flies. Its bird-dropping mimicry as a young larva and eyespots as a mature larva protect it.","status":"common","facts":["Females can be all-black (dark form): a common point of confusion in the field.","Its young caterpillar mimics bird droppings; the mature one is green with yellow eyespots.","It is the state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and the state insect of Virginia.","Its native host trees include tulip poplar and black cherry, so it is a butterfly of woods and edges."],"factRefs":{"2":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Papilio glaucus","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_glaucus"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,9,10]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"range":"ALL -STX -HIGH -TRANS","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"black-swallowtail","name":"Black Swallowtail","scientific":"Papilio polyxenes","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Papilio_polyxenes","adultId":"A black swallowtail with a distinctive row of YELLOW SPOTS along both wing margins (a broken band) and a prominent BLUE-orange EYESPOT band between the yellow rows. Its tails are short. Its upper forewing has a vertical yellow streak, unlike the tiger swallowtail's stripes.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaId":"A large GREEN caterpillar with a distinct BLACK BAND across each body segment and YELLOW DOTS along the band. When young it mimics bird droppings; when mature it is green with black bands and yellow spots. Everts an orange osmeterium.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A small, pale-YELLOW sphere laid singly on the leaves of its host plants (carrot family, citrus family). Its yellow color matches the flowers and leaves.","hosts":["Texas Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia texana), native","Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)","Dill (Anethum graveolens)","Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)","Carrot (Daucus carota)","Rue (Ruta graveolens)","Dutchman's Breeches (Thamnosma texana)"],"nectar":"Milkweeds, thistles, clovers, phlox, and Lantana. It especially likes FLAT-TOPPED flower clusters where it can perch.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoid flies (especially tachinid flies) and parasitoid wasps. Its mimicking of the toxic pipevine swallowtail is its main defense.","status":"common","facts":["Its caterpillar is a common garden visitor on dill, fennel, and parsley.","It mimics the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail, gaining protection by resemblance.","Its caterpillar everts a smelly orange horn (osmeterium) in self-defense.","It has several generations a year, so its caterpillars turn up from spring through fall."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,10]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,7,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,7,11]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,9,10]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"pipevine-swallowtail","name":"Pipevine Swallowtail","scientific":"Battus philenor","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Battus_philenor","adultId":"A black butterfly with a stunning, glowing BLUE-IRIDESCENT hindwing upper side and a single row of large ROUND ORANGE SPOTS on the underside of its hindwing. The blue flash in flight is distinctive. Its forewongs are black with faint white spots.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaId":"A striking, velvety BLACK caterpillar with fleshy, ORANGE-RED soft spines in rows along its body. Its bright colors warn predators that it is toxic from its pipevine host. Often feeds in groups.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8],"eggId":"A small, round, ORANGE-BROWN egg laid in CLUSTERS on pipevine (Aristolochia) leaves or stems. Its color makes it visible against the green host.","hosts":["Woolly Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia tomentosa)","Texas Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia reticulata)","Virginia Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria)"],"nectar":"Tubular flowers: native thistles, milkweeds, Lantana, phlox, and viper's bugloss.","predators":"Birds and other vertebrates largely AVOID it because its pipevine toxins make it poisonous. Spiders, assassin bugs, wasps, and parasitoids still attack it.","status":"uncommon","facts":["Its pipevine (Aristolochia) host plants are toxic, and the caterpillar stores those toxins.","The blue flash of its hindwings is one of {place}'s most beautiful butterfly sights.","Other butterflies (like the black and spicebush swallowtails and the red-spotted purple) mimic its toxic look.","It lays its distinctive orange eggs in clusters on native pipevine leaves."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,9,10,11]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,9,10]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,9,10,11]}}},{"id":"spicebush-swallowtail","name":"Spicebush Swallowtail","scientific":"Papilio troilus","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Papilio_troilus","adultId":"A dark (black-brown) swallowtail whose hindwing underside has a bold PALE GREEN-BLUE band of scales and TWO rows of orange spots. Its forewing has two rows of small pale spots. Its overall look is 'mimicry of the pipevine swallowtail'. A dark, toxic-looking butterfly.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"larvaId":"A GREEN caterpillar with a large FALSE EYESPOT (yellow ring, black pupil) on its swollen thorax and smaller real dots along its sides. It lives in a FOLDED LEAF shelter. It silk-folds a spicebush or sassafras leaf into a tube and feeds inside.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A small, pale-GREEN sphere laid singly on the UNDERSIDE of spicebush or sassafras leaves, often near the leaf tip.","hosts":["Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)","Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)","Redbay (Persea borbonia)","Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)"],"nectar":"Tubular flowers: native honeysuckles, milkweeds, thistles, Lantana, Joe Pye Weed, and jewelweed.","predators":"Birds and spiders, but its leaf-tube shelter, eyespots, and pipevine-mimic coloration are its defenses. Parasitoid wasps and flies also attack it.","status":"common","facts":["Its caterpillar folds a leaf into a tube shelter and hides inside during the day.","Its caterpillar has dramatic false eyespots on a swollen thorax, mimicking a snake.","It mimics the toxic Pipevine Swallowtail's dark coloration.","Its main native host in {place} is Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and Redbay (Persea borbonia)."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","range":"ALL -34b -CROSS -STX -ROLL -HIGH -TRANS","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"cabbage-white","name":"Cabbage White","scientific":"Pieris rapae","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Pieris_rapae","adultId":"A small, plain WHITE butterfly (the 'cabbage butterfly') with BLACK WING TIPS on its forewings and (on the forewing upperside of males) ONE black spot; females have TWO black spots. Its underside is pale yellow-white with faint gray scaling. Weak, erratic flight near greens.","adultMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaId":"A velvety GREEN caterpillar with faint yellow stripes and tiny black dots, feeding INSIDE the folds of cabbage-family leaves. It is the classic 'cabbage worm' garden pest.","larvaMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-yellow, RIBBED, elongated egg laid singly on the undersides of leaves. Its pointed, turban shape resembles a tiny bowling pin.","hosts":["Virginia Pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum), native","Kale (Brassica oleracea)","Broccoli (Brassica oleracea)","Radish (Raphanus sativus)"],"nectar":"Many flat-topped flowers: clovers, mustards, dandelions, asters. It is a generalist garden visitor.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, lacewing larvae, and parasitoid wasps (like Cotesia glomerata, used for biological control).","status":"common","facts":["It is an INTRODUCED species, brought to Quebec in the 1860s from Europe.","It is the classic 'cabbage worm' pest on broccoli and kale in {place} gardens.","Its caterpillar's parasitoid wasp (Cotesia) is used as an organic biological control.","Its black wing-tips and 1–2 black spots distinguish it from similar white butterflies."],"range":"CENTRAL HIGH BLACK POST TRANS -33b -EDW -STX -ROLL -24b -26c -23a","regional":{"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,9,10,11]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11]}},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"orange-sulphur","name":"Orange Sulphur","scientific":"Colias eurytheme","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Colias_eurytheme","adultImageUrl":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/McGeorge_Colias_eurytheme.JPG/960px-McGeorge_Colias_eurytheme.JPG","adultId":"A medium butterfly that is bright ORANGE-YELLOW above with a DARK BROWN border and a dark spot on each wing. Its underside is PINK-EDGED with a silver spot rimmed in orange-red, and two white 'eyes' near the hindwing edge. In flight, it looks like a flying orange-yellow flash.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A green caterpillar with a WHITE STRIPE along each side, striped with fine white and dark lines down its back. It feeds on clover and legumes. Its green body hides it well on its host.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-WHITE, spindle-shaped egg laid singly on the leaves of legumes (clover, alfalfa).","hosts":["White Clover (Trifolium repens)","Bur Clover (Medicago polymorpha)","Wild Indigo (Baptisia spp.)","Ground Plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)","Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)"],"nectar":"Flat-topped and tubular flowers: clover, dandelions, milkweeds, asters, Lantana.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoid wasps/flies. Its fast, erratic flight and camouflage underside help it escape.","status":"common","facts":["It is one of the most common {place} butterflies in open, sunny fields.","Its caterpillar feeds on clover and other legumes.","Its fast, erratic flight makes it hard for birds to catch.","Its spring and fall generations look different. Spring forms are paler, fall forms more orange."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[2,3,4,5,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"range":"ALL -23a","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"cloudless-sulphur","name":"Cloudless Sulphur","scientific":"Phoebis sennae","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Phoebis_sennae","adultId":"A LARGE, all-PALE-LEMON-YELLOW butterfly with NO dark markings on its wings above (males are unmarked; females may show faint dark borders). It has a pointed forewing and is a powerful, fast flier. It is famous for huge FALL MIGRATIONS through {place}, when hundreds stream south.","adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A GREEN caterpillar with a bold YELLOW STRIPE along each side and BLUE dots, feeding on sennas (Senna). Its skin has a faint granular texture and it rests along leaf midribs.","larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-cream, SPINDLE-shaped egg laid singly on the tender leaves of senna (Senna).","hosts":["Coffee Senna (Senna occidentalis)","Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)","Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)","Twoleaf Senna (Senna roemeriana)"],"nectar":"Red tubular flowers: Lantana, morning glory, Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus), hibiscus, and geiger tree.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, and parasitoid flies and wasps. Its fast, high flight and huge migratory numbers are its main survival strategies.","status":"common","facts":["It is one of the largest sulphurs; males are plain lemon-yellow above with no black markings.","Its host plants are sennas (Senna), including the candlestick plant of {place} gardens.","It migrates through Texas in huge numbers each fall, streaming south toward Mexico.","Its pointed forewings give it a jet-like silhouette in flight."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,7,8,9,10,12]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[7,8,9,10],"larvaMonths":[5,6,7,8,9]}},"range":"ALL -24f -26c -23a","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"sleepy-orange","name":"Sleepy Orange","scientific":"Abaeis nicippe","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Abaeis_nicippe","adultId":"A small-to-medium butterfly, bright orange above with wide, irregular black borders. A tiny black mark on the forewing upperside looks like a closed, 'sleepy' eye, which gives it its name. Its underside is orange-yellow with brownish patches.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A GREEN caterpillar with a dark dorsal stripe and white 'droplets,' feeding on senna and other legumes. Like other sulphur caterpillars, it aligns itself along leaf midribs.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A small, pale spindle-shaped egg laid singly on senna leaves.","hosts":["Coffee Senna (Senna occidentalis)","Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)","Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)","Twoleaf Senna (Senna roemeriana)","Lindheimer's Senna (Senna lindheimeriana)"],"nectar":"Small tubular flowers: Lantana, frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora), clovers, asters.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoids.","status":"common","facts":["Its 'sleepy' name comes from a small black mark on the forewing that looks like a closed eye.","It is a common {place} garden visitor on senna (candlestick plant).","It can be confused with the orange sulphur but is more uniformly orange with a distinctive silhouette.","It is a fast, darting flier like other sulphurs."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Eurema nicippe","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurema_nicippe"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,10,12]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"common-buckeye","name":"Common Buckeye","scientific":"Junonia coenia","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Junonia_coenia","adultId":"A distinctive brown butterfly with bold, colorful EYESPOTS: one large and one small on each forewing, plus two blue-and-orange eyespots on the trailing edge of each hindwing. Its forewings have orange and white bands and a prominent orange bar. Fast, low, gliding flight.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A DARK caterpillar with a pale, broken, longitudinal STRIPE and rows of small branching spines. Its head is orange-tan and it has a distinctive habit of curling its head back when at rest. It often feeds on plantain and snapdragons.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-GREEN, RIBBED egg laid singly on the buds or leaf tops of its host plants.","hosts":["Broadleaf Plantain (Plantago major)","Frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora)","Texas Toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus)","Prairie False Foxglove (Agalinis heterophylla)","Texas Vervain (Verbena halei)","Texas Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa)","Wholeleaf Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja integra)"],"nectar":"Composite and tubular flowers: aster, ironweed, mistflower, Lantana, and rabbit tobacco.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoids. Its eyespots startle birds and deflect attacks toward the wing edges.","status":"common","facts":["Its multiple false eyespots are its signature. They startle predators and protect its body.","Its favorite host plant in {place} lawns is the common plantain (Plantago major).","It also breeds prolifically on frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) in {place} yards.","It is one of the most common and recognizable {place} butterflies in fall."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,9,10]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,9,10]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[3,4,6,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,7,8,9,10]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10]}},"range":"ALL -24f -23a","refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"red-admiral","name":"Red Admiral","scientific":"Vanessa atalanta","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Vanessa_atalanta","adultId":"A striking, dark butterfly with a brilliant RED-ORANGE medial band across each forewing and RED-ORANGE marginal bands on its hindwings. Its forewing tips have bold WHITE SPOTS and its underside is mottled, bark-like gray-brown. Fast, erratic flight.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A DARK caterpillar with pale yellow speckling and rows of branching DARK SPINES. It FOLDS a leaf into a tube shelter with silk and feeds inside. A distinctive behavior shared with other Vanessa caterpillars.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-GREEN, barrel-shaped egg laid singly near the top of a nettle leaf. Its classic host.","hosts":["Heartleaf Nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides)","False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)","Pennsylvania Pellitory (Parietaria pensylvanica)"],"nectar":"Rotting fruit and tree sap, plus flowers: aster, milkweed, Lantana, butterfly bush.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, and parasitoid wasps and flies. Its leaf-tube shelter and fast, erratic flight help it escape.","status":"common","facts":["Its host plant is nettle, and it often breeds on the harmless false nettle (Boehmeria).","Its caterpillar folds a leaf into a tube shelter with silk.","It is famous for being a people-friendly butterfly, landing on observers.","It migrates north each spring and moves south again in fall."],"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5,6]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"painted-lady","name":"Painted Lady","scientific":"Vanessa cardui","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Vanessa_cardui","adultId":"A medium, fast-flying butterfly with PINK-ORANGE upper sides, BLACK WING TIPS with white spots, and a UNIFORM, complex mottled-brown underside with four small EYESPOTS on the hindwing underside. Its forewing underside has a pink-orange bar.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A GRAY-BROWN or dull purplish caterpillar with pale stripes and rows of branching SPINES. It lives in a SILK-BOUND LEAF NEST on its host plant, especially thistles.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9],"eggId":"A tiny, pale-green, BARREL-shaped egg laid singly on host leaves (thistles, mallow, legumes).","hosts":["Yellow Thistle (Cirsium horridulum)","Texas Thistle (Cirsium texanum)","Arrowleaf Sida (Sida rhombifolia)","Teaweed (Sida acuta)","Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa)","White Clover (Trifolium repens)"],"nectar":"Asters, thistles, Lantana, zinnia, milkweeds, and composites. A generalist feeder.","predators":"Birds, spiders, wasps, assassin bugs, lacewing larvae, and parasitoid wasps and flies.","status":"common","facts":["It is the most widespread butterfly in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica.","Its caterpillar lives in a silk-bound leaf nest on its host plant.","Its host plants include thistles, which give it the nickname 'thistle butterfly.'","It occasionally has enormous mass migrations through Texas."],"factRefs":{"0":[{"label":"Wikipedia: Vanessa cardui","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_cardui"}]},"timingIn":"35a 35c 35g POST BLACK 34b","regional":{"EDW":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[3,4,5]},"CROSS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5]},"STX":{"adultMonths":[1,2,3,4,6,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"ROLL":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"HIGH":{"adultMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]},"TRANS":{"adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12],"larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8,9]}},"refs":[{"label":"Weber, Weber & Wauer: Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies: A Field Guide (Texas A&M University Press)","url":"https://www.tamupress.com/?s=native+host+plants+for+texas+butterflies"}]},{"id":"question-mark","name":"Question Mark","scientific":"Polygonia interrogationis","kind":"butterfly","wiki":"Polygonia_interrogationis","adultId":"A distinctive, orange-and-brown butterfly with deeply SCALLOPED wing edges and a small, curled 'tail.' Its underside is dark bark-like brown with a small WHITE SILVER MARK shaped like a QUESTION MARK (?) or comma, depending on season form. It is {place}'s largest angle-wing butterfly.","adultMonths":[3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11],"larvaId":"A variable caterpillar, orange, red-brown, or gray, with rows of branching spines and a pair of forked spines on its head. It feeds on elm and hackberry, and it is a large, stout caterpillar.","larvaMonths":[4,5,6,7,8],"eggId":"A tiny, green, ribbed egg laid singly or in short stacks under elm, hackberry and nettle leaves.","hosts":["American Elm (Ulmus americana)","Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia)","Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata)","Heartleaf Nettle (Urtica chamaedryoides)","