Insects and Spiders

Butterflies are a delight to see at Fort McHenry:

Here is a list of some types that you might see!

Black Swallowtail

NPS

Black Swallowtail

Papilio polyxenes

An eye-catching butterfly with all black wings, two rows of yellow spots on the top part of their wings. Colorful blue, yellow, and orange markings on the bottom half with curved ends.

Monarch

NPS

Monarch

Danaus plexippus

A brilliantly colored butterfly that is easily recognizable with their deep orange wings and black borders and veins surrounded by white spots.

Painted Lady

NPS

Painted Lady

Vanessa cardui

Known as the Painted Lady by the way the markings on their wings look like someone splashed orange and brown spots and markings on them. With the edges of their wings having a black and white border their undersides are more of a brownish gray.

Question Mark

Don Riepe

Question Mark

Polygonia interrogationis

A beautiful butterfly with orange and black curved wings that elegantly curve. The bottoms of their wings are usually black, but the tops are orange with black spotting and a powder blue border. Their undersides are more of a dark brown and gray.

Spring Azure

Jgoodmann

Spring Azure

Celastrina ladon

A pastel blue butterfly with a faint black and white border and a white underside with black spotting.

Tiger Swallowtail

NPS/ Fenner

Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

A large butterfly with yellow on the inside of the wings, black veins and a border, and yellow markings within the black border. Their wings also have a slight yellow and black tail at the bottoms of them giving it a unique appearance.

Viceroy

JJ Prekop

Viceroy

Limenitis archippus

A brilliantly colored butterfly that is easily recognizable with their deep orange wings and black borders and veins surrounded by white spots. A horizontal black line can also be found on their hindwings setting them apart from other similarly colored butterflies.