Mariposas
Mariposa Mamma uses butterflies that are collected after natural death, found in places such as woods, beaches, and interstate roadsides.
Get to know some of the most commonly found specimens used in Mariposa Mamma adornments. (All photos courtesy of the artist.)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
These vibrant beauties can be found fluttering around open areas such as fields, deserts, marshes, and roadside flora. The adult butterflies feed on nectar from milkweed, thistles, and clover.
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Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Its ancestry can be traced back to Africa. The caterpillars love plants from the snapdragon and plantain families while the adult butterflies love to source nectar from chickory, mint, and many other North American flowers. They can be found flying low to the ground, and you can easily spot their vibrant purple/blue spots.
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
These bright yellow butterflies light up cloudy days. They are one of the more fast-flying butterflies and love wild morning glory, lantana, bougainvillea, and hibiscus.
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Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
The Giant Swallowtail is the largest of the North American butterflies. Its yellow pattern spans diagonally across the forewings, making it a striking fluttering phenomenon as it searches for its favorite nectar from flora such as azalea, bougainvillea, goldenrod, and swamp milkweed.
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Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
The Gulf Fritillary butterflies go wild for passion vine. They love to visit gardens, pastures, woodlands, and coastal areas. Adults may be found throughout all seasons of the year in much of Florida. The sunset colors of their underwings and their silver metallic markings make them easy to identify.
Side note: this was the first butterfly ever used in Mariposa Mamma adornments.
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)
These butterflies are iridescent green at the base of their wings. They are a smaller species of butterfly and can be found in open weedy fields, feeding on flowers such as lantana and composites.
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Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Monarchs are one of the most fascinating insects of the natural world. The monarch is poisonous to its predators, and this is a good trait to have when making the 3,000-mile migration south. As caterpillars, they feed exclusively on milkweed which is a plant full of toxins. These toxins get stored in the caterpillar's body and that is actually what makes monarchs poisonous as adult butterflies. Monarchs can produce 4 generations in one summer season, and the 4th generation is the one that makes the great migration. This 4th generation "super butterfly" can live up to 9 months! Adult monarchs are not as picky as they were when they were caterpillars; they feed on nectar-rich flowers such as zinnias, Mexican sunflowers, verbena, butterfly bushes, and milkweed.
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
The Pipevine Swallowtail is one of the smaller butterflies in the swallowtail family. They can be found in many open habitats and thrive in woodland areas. These butterflies source nectar from thistles, bergamot, azaleas, lantana, verbenas, and lantana, as well as many other flowers.
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Red Spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Due to its similar coloration and markings, the Red Spotted Purple is often confused for a swallowtail butterfly. However, it lacks the telling sign of the swallowtail-the swooping portion of the wing that resembles the tail of a swallowtail bird. These butterflies are found in mixed forests and moist areas such as valleys and coastal plains. In addition to flora, they find their nectar in sap and rotting fruit.
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
The subspecies, Papilio troilus ilioneus, is predominately found in the Florida peninsula. The adult butterflies get their nectar from thistles, milkweed, Japanese honeysuckle, lantana, and azalea, to name a few. They thrive in a variety of habitats including woodlands and fields, gardens, wooded swamps, and roadsides.
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Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
The Tiger Swallowtail is probably one of the better-known swallowtails in North America due to its size, bright color, and striking patterns. The females are unique in that there are two forms: one is yellow like the male while the other is black with dark markings. Tiger Swallowtails can be found in wooded areas, river valleys, and other open area habitats. Milkweed and Joe-Pye weed are two of their favorite sources for nectar.