Category: #Butterfly

2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #3. These images were taken on Coleman’s & my recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The first area we visited was the Butterfly Bungalow. We had not previously visited the Butterfly Bungalowsince the times we’ve visited Daniel Stowe Conservancy before were in the Springtime.

For this post I am focusing on the Giant Swallowtail (Polygonia comma). The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly located in North America. It is known for its black wings with striking yellow stripes and its large wingspan. The Giant Swallowtails can have a massive wingspan of up to six (6) inches long.

Interestingly, their abdomen and outer wings are a light yellow shade with red and blue markings along the bottom of their wings while they have black and yellow stripes directly above their heads.

These Giant Swallowtails (Polygonia comma) are also referred to as Eastern Comma. They can typically be seen in shaded areas or near bodies of water. The Eastern Comma feed on sap, rotting fruit, dung, salt and minerals. They are a confident , aggressive, and social butterfly.

#Whatsoever Is Lovely – 2026 Week 29
Giant Swallowtails (Polygonia comma)
aka Eastern Comma

These Giant Swallowtails are feasting on Pycnanthemum incanum, aka Hoary Mountain Mint. The Mountain Mint is a hardy, aromatic perennial in the mint family which is native to eastern North America. It is known for its silvery-white foliage with clusters of small white to lavender flowers that bloom during the summertime. It is an excellent magnifier pollinators like bees, butterflies, and wasps. (I prefer watching the butterflies to bees or wasps.)

These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge. 

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 29

Cee’s Flower of the Day (FOTD)

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens. 

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Macro Monday Portrait – 2026 July 20

Monarch

Monarch Butterflies are one of the most familiar and recognized species of butterflies of North America butterflies. The Danaus plexippus, which are widely known as Butterflies Monarch or Monarch Butterfly, are famous for their 3,000 mile annual migration.

Monarch Butterfly
Butterfly Bungalow
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

North and South Carolina serve as a crucial geographical corridor for the Eastern migratory population. Monarchs are a welcome sight in the Carolinas and a sign of seasonal change. The Monarchs pass through the Carolinas twice a year. Once in the Spring and again in the Fall.

When we see them arriving in the beginning of Spring (late March and April) they are migrating northward. The first generation Monarchs stop to lay eggs on emerging native milkweed. The second generation continues the migration journey all the way into Canada. In the Fall (Autumn)the “Methuselah generation” (aka the “super generation”), the Monarchs born at the end of summer, fly southward towards Mexico from September through mid-October.

This Monarch and ones shown in other posts are maintained in a controlled environment in the Butterfly Bungalow at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. To see more Monarch Butterflies check out my Whatsoever is Lovely post by clicking here.

Click on image to enlarge. 

Macro Monday (MM)

Monday Portrait-2026.07.20

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250 mm lens and Altura UV Filter attachment. 

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Take time to enjoy nature. Admire the beautiful flowers and plants. Have a funtastic week. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #2

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

This week I am continuing with Whatsoever is Lovely to me; Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #2. These images were taken on Coleman’s & my recent visit to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina. The first area we visited was the Butterfly Bungalow. We had not previously visited the Butterfly Bungalow since the times we’ve visited Daniel Stowe Conservancy before were in the Springtime.

The best time of the year to visit the Butterfly Bungalow is during the Summer. Why do you think Summer is the best time to visit. Let me tell you. It is the best and only season to visit the Butterfly Bungalow due to the fact that it is a seasonal attraction that only operates from late May through early September, the warmest months of the year.

For this post I am focusing on the Monarch Butterfly. The Monarch Butterflies eagerly feast on Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush) because it functions as an elite nectar source. The nectar of Buddleja davidii is rich in sucrose, glucose, and fructose which offers a dense spike of immediate energy. The blooms of Buddleja davidii emit a powerful sweet, honey-like aroma that attracts Monarchs from a distance.

Below are Monarch Butterfly photos I took on our visit …

  • Monarch Butterfly on Summer Lilac aka Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)
  • Buddleja davidii (Butterfly Bush)

These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge. 

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 28

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens. 

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA 

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 CosPhoChal: Close Up with Butterflies

Dale, the host of the Cosmic Photo Challenge, has challenged us to post a few close-up shots for this week’s challenge. Coleman and I had just recently visited the Butterfly Bungalow watching the butterflies fluttering to and fro from flower to flower feasting on nectar and/or pollen till their hearts content. Therefore, I thought it might be worth it to share a few close-ups with you.

Eastern Giant Swallowtails

First, in the image above we are viewing two Eastern Giant Swallowtails enjoying the tasty delight in the butterfly feeder.

Next, let’s take a closer look at the Butterfly feeder. Not only are the Swallowtails having a delicious feast of the sugar water solution mixed with fruit to provide them with energy, but severe black ants are joining in to sample it as well.

And finally for a close-up view of the Eastern Giant Swallowtails themselves. Observe the delicate line, pattern, and color details in the design of the Swallowtails wings. Notice their distinctive appearance with their prominent antennae that are dark, slender, and distinctively club-tipped. Its legs are also slender, dark, and segmented allowing it to grip the edge of the feeder.

Click on each image to enlarge.

Cosmic Photo Challenge (#CosPhoChal)-Close-Up

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm and Altura UV Filter attachment.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Belmont, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Get Outdoors. Be observant of all creatures large and small that call our Earth home. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

2026 Whatsoever is Lovely: Beautiful Flowers & Butterflies #1

XingfuMama hosts the weekly challenge Whatsoever Is Lovely. The challenge is simple. Just reflect back over your week and see what is lovely, whether a thing or a moment, share in a post what is precious and lovely to you.

Summertime in the Carolinas is extremely hot and humid, too hot to want to walk around outside. However, it is the best time of year to view and watch the amazing fluttering of beautiful Butterflies. What better way to observe them than in an enclosed Butterfly Bungalow.

That’s exactly what Coleman and I did on Wednesday. It was wonderful and oh so lovely to watch the Butterflies flittering around. They move so fast it was difficult to keep up with them to photograph them.

Here’s a few Butterflies flitting to and fro enjoying the nectar of their favourite flowers.

Zebra heliconian
Heliconius charithonia
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing
Zebra Longwing
(Heliconius charithonia)
Butterfly Bungalow
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Belmont, NC

This week’s featured Butterfly is the Heliconius charithonia, also known as Zebra Longwing or Zebra heliconian. It is distinctively known for its long, black wings with pale yellow stripes. Their wing pattern serves as a warning to potential predators that their toxicity.

One thing which is unique to the Zebra Longwing is that the adult butterflies feed on both nectar and pollen. The pollen enables them synthesize cyanogenic glycosides which makes their bodies toxic to predators.

The Zebra Longwing Butterflies may be spotted in South America, Central America, the West Indies, and the Southeastern United States. Adults will migrate into the Carolinas during the warmer summer months. These pictured here are maintained in the controlled environment of the Butterfly Bungalow inside the Gardens of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina.

Click on images to enlarge.

Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge-2026 Week 27

Photo Credit:©️2026 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T7 (2000D) with Canon EF-S55-250mm lens.

Location: Butterfly Bungalow; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bely, North Carolina, USA

God Bless. Have a lovely weekend filled with love, joy, and laughter. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.

Wordless Wednesday — 2026.04.22

Papilio glaucus

Aka Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
on a Prunus virginiana
(Chokecherry)

Click on image to enlarge. 

Wordless Wednesday-2026.04.22

Photo Credit:©️2024 Deb L. Waters … All Rights Reserved. 

God Bless. Have a wonderful week. Love & Peace to y’all. Thank you for visiting and sharing your time and thoughts with us. I appreciate y’all very much.