May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish blessing
Well, we could certainly use some of that! David Heavner has been photographing butterflies and moths for several years. Below are some pictures from his collection. Most were taken in Madison County, especially near Hot Springs. Click on any picture to zoom and enter the slide show.
Resources:
For identifying adult butterflies:
Butterflies through Binoculars: The East, by Jeffrey Glassberg. Oxford University Press.
Eastern Butterflies, by Paul Opler & Vichai Malikul. In the Peterson Field Guide series, Houghton Mifflin Company.
For identifying caterpillars and learning about their host plants:
Caterpillars of Eastern North America, by David Wagner. Princeton University Press.
Florida Butterfly Caterpillars and Their Host Plants, by Marc Minno, Jerry Butler, and Donals Hall. University Press of Florida.