Georgia Butterflies: Pictures and Butterfly Identification Help

Thanks for visiting Georgia butterflies. The presence of a mountain region in the north makes Georgia a more diverse butterfly state than some neighboring Gulf Coast states such as Mississippi and Louisiana.

The presence of multiple butterfly gardens throughout the state means that visitors to the Peach state can catch up on their butterfly list in a nice day trip of afternoon trip adventure.

For example, downtown Atlanta hosts the Freedom Park Bird and Butterfly Garden. It’s filled with native plants that attract all the local species.

The top picture shows an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, the state butterfly. It has both a black form and a yellow form. They are evenly distributed throughout the state.

In addition to the mountains of the north, Georgia also has a coastal plain ecosystem and an interior piedmont ecosystem. The types of butterflies one sees is Georgia is therefore often a function of the ecosystem they visit.

Tourists will often see about twenty common butterflies that adapt easily to local gardens with native plants.

This introduction to Georgia butterflies divides the group by families and by extension often color. Space limitations mean only butterfly pictures of some representative species for the families can be presented.

Visitors looking for additional butterfly pictures and identification help can press the green butterfly button for more information.

Butterflies: Whites and Yellows

Pieridae is the formal name of the family that consists of the butterflies with white wings and yellow wings. The picture shows a Yellow Angled-Sulphur.

Along with the Satria Sulphur, it might be one of the least common of the state’s yellow butterflies. Both are subtropical species that occasionally stray into the state.

Falcate Orangetips and West Virginia Whites are the mountain species. Great Southern Whites are the southern species.

The picture shows a Great Southern White. The presence of blue tips on the antenna is the best field identification clue.

Blues, Hairtreaks and Coppers

Butterfly enthusiast might want to take note of the five different Azure species. Typically states have a spring and summer version. They, along with the Tailed-blues have the widest distribution in the state. Look for chevrons on the side of the wings to be able to identify an Azure.

Hairstreak butterflies are almost always regionally distributed. The Picture shows a White M Hairstreak. Look for them where ever Oak trees grow in the state. They are the host plants for the caterpillars.

Brush Footed Butterflies

Many of the Brush Footed butterflies in Georgia are similar to the general East Coast population. A quick look down the list, starting with American Snouts, Monarch and Queens reminds us that butterfly gardens in Eastern North America tend to attract similar species. The picture shows an Eastern Comma, and as the name implies, it’s a very common East Coast butterfly species.

Georgia does add some spice to the Brush Footed list when you get to the Wood Nymphs and Satyrs at the bottom. A few of the species such as the Appalachian Brown, Gemmed Satyr, Georgia Satyr and Helicta Satyr would be great gets for the average butterfly enthusiast’s life list.

The picture shows a Southern Pearly Eye.

Georgia Butterflies: Swallowtails

Swallowtail butterflies are abundant in the south. In addition to the state butterfly, eight other species are celebrated by the residents. Some species such as the Applachian Tiger Swallowtail are mountain species.

The picture shows a Palamedes Swallowtail. It’s evenly distributed in the state. Two rows of orange spots on the side of the wings is a good field identification clue.

• Pipevine Swallowtail
• Polydamas Swallowtail
• Zebra Swallowtail
• Black Swallowtail
• Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
• Spicebush Swallowtail
• Palamedes Swallowtail
• Giant Swallowtail

Butterflies: Metalmarks

Georgia has one metalmark, the Little Metalmark.