Butterfly Photography by Kozmic Dreams

My Digital Photography of

Butterflies and their Larvae

The following insects were photographed in the Metro-Detroit area, unless otherwise noted. I have identified them by their scientific names, if known. Photographs are sorted so that most recent photos are at the top of the page.

Special thanks to John Maxwell for helping me identify many insects on this page from 2008 and before.

Click on any photo to see a larger view!

Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma

Backyard, feeding from the hummingbird feeder, August 22, 2023

Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor

Greenbrier River Trail, Cass, WV, July 14, 2021

Duskywing butterfly, Erynnis

Pinckney State Park, May 8, 2021

Unidentified Caterpillar

Watkins Lake State Park, July 11, 2020

Unidentified Caterpillar

Patriot Park, September 28, 2019

Unidentified Caterpillar

Yankee Springs State Park, September 16, 2019

Unfortunately, this one was injured and near death.

Unidentified Swallowtail

Crosswinds Marsh, September 15, 2019

Unidentified caterpillar

Maybury State Park, September 7, 2019

The first photo shows the type of flowers on which I found it.

Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes tharos

Oakwoods Metropark, August 25, 2019

Unidentified chrysalis

Orion Oaks County Park, August 10, 2019

Unidentified

Orion Oaks County Park, August 10, 2019

Little Wood Satyr, Megisto cymela

Schroeter Park, June 15, 2021

Northern Pearly-Eye, Enodia antethedon

Metamora-Hadley State Park, July 27, 2019

Dahlem Conservancy, July 13, 2019

Common Wood Nymph, Cercyonis pegala

Dahlem Conservancy, July 13, 2019

Patriot Park, July 6, 2019

Baltimore checkerspot, Euphydryas phaeton

Schroeter Park, June 15, 2021

Leonard Preserve, June 29, 2019

Unidentified blue butterfly

Kensington Metropark, April 22, 2019

Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes

Lyon Oaks County Park, September 2, 2018

Unidentified larva

Oakwoods Metropark, August 30, 2018

I am assuming this is a butterfly larva, as it looks like it might make a chrysalis, but I am not certain---it could be a moth larva.

Orange Sulphur, Colias eurytheme

Holland Ponds, August 11, 2018

Unidentified Butterfly

Wolcott Mill Metropark, July 28, 2018

Unidentified caterpillar

Island Lake State Park, October 8, 2017

Unidentified butterfly

Waterloo State Park, September 25, 2016

Unidentified butterfly

Raymond Goodrich Preserve, August 17, 2019

Unidentified butterfly

Crosswinds Preserve. July 1, 2017

Pontiac Lake State Park. August 11, 2013

Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa

West Lake Preserve (Chelsea), March 21, 2021

Point Mouillee, August 8, 2015

Jackson, MI. April 19, 2014

Waterloo State Park. August 25, 2013

Monarch, Danaus plexippus

Click on the photo below to visit the Monarch Page.

Viceroy, Limenitis archippus

Island Lake State Park, June 16, 2019

These are not my best photographs, but I saw this gorgeous, flawless viceroy on August 18, 2010, and had to try to snap a few shots. These are all hand-held (no monopod), so that is why they are not as clear as some of my others.

Unidentified Larva

Independence Oaks, July 20, 2014

Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus

Brighton, MI. October 27, 2018

Unidentified Larva

Brighton, MI. October 27, 2018

Unidentified Butterfly

Holly, MI. June 23, 2012

Banded Hairstreak, Satyrium calanus

Seven Lakes State Park, June 23, 2012

Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes

Orion Oaks County Park, August 10, 2019

Caterpillar on Queen Anne's lace.

I had the chance to observe a swallowtail caterpillar go through its metamorphosis into a butterfly over the summer of 2009. There are so many photos that it needed its own page. Click on the larva or butterfly below to see the photos.

Red-Spotted Purple Butterfly, Limenitis arthemis

Dahlem Environmental Education Center. July 8, 2012

Unfortunately, these are not macro photos, but I had never seen one of these types of butterflies before, so I had to take some pictures, even if it was only with my Sony Cybershot 7.2 megapixel camera. I was at a nursery looking at trees on May 30, 2009 when I spotted this butterfly flying around near the ground. I was lucky enough to be able to get within a few feet of it while I photographed it. If only I had my macro camera with me! I'm not sure why it's called the red-spotted purple butterfly though because it was quite a striking blue color if you ask me. These photos are pretty accurate regarding the colors.

Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis

Stony Creek Metropark, March 27, 2021

Hudson Mills Metropark, March 20, 2021

Leonard Preserve, October 12, 2019

Holland Ponds, October 25, 2014

Photographed on a Buddleia "Purple Emperor" butterfly bush on August 25, 2006

Red Admiral, Vanessa Atalanta

Backyard, August 1, 2019

Stinchfield Woods, May 30, 2020

Pontiac Lake State Park, May 3, 2020

Sterling State Park, August 13, 2017.

Photographed on a Buddleia "Purple Emperor" butterfly bush on August 25, 2006.

Cabbage Butterfly, Pieris rapae

This butterfly was photographed on oregano flowers in my garden on August 9, 2006. The first photo is definitely a male since it has one wing spot, not two. Males also have black wing tips (although I've found that some seem to be missing a lot of scales and are lighter in color).

Here are two more photos from Sept. 4, 2006. This one is a female---note the two spots on its wing---males only have one. Females also have gray wing tips as opposed to black.

Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus

This butterfly was photographed on the side of my house on a Buddleia "Purple Emperor" butterfly bush in 2004.

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