Relatively small with a wingspan of 2¾ to 3½ inches, it stands out in a field with its jet black and bright yellow markings. With a preference for open meadows, this specimen was photographed in a field that once grew potatoes now harvested for hay in Sherman. The Eastern Tiger prefers open areas, including towns and suburbs, such as Harpswell in midcoast Maine. Not often found in evergreen forests, they prefer mixed or hardwood forests. “Eastern” means “east of the Rocky Mountains”in the U.S.

These black and yellow tiger striped fliers outsize the Monarchs with a 4″ to almost 6″ wingspan. Thistle seed, considered by some to be an undesirable invasive pest, is a gift to the hungry butterflies. Monhegan Island, where cone flowers are plentiful, is awash in Monarchs in late summer as they prepare for the long trip south. By the next spring, several generations of the original butterfly have hatched a reproduced on their way north. Those that remain head for Mexico before winter. Wingspan ranges from 3½ to 4 inches.Īs forests reclaim abandoned farms and the remaining cropland displaces milkweed and similar plants, this butterfly has become less abundant in Maine. The colorful and common Monarchs range throughout the United States, including all of Maine, especially in rural areas with fields thick with milkweed. Red Admiral Butterfly in Litchfield (2012) Butterflies in Maine Monarchs Articles about Maine history, government, ecology, economy, recreation, towns, natural features, famous people, sports, with maps, photos, and videos.

Black and white butterfly