Butterflies of the Everglades.

Butterflies. In the Florida Everglades, there are lots of butterflies flying in the sun and the swampy heat pollinating all of the flowers and plants.

Butterfly Species. The Everglades National Park’s subtropical climate promotes a great diversity of flowers, plants and insects, creatures that pollinate them. Butterflies are one of the most beautiful examples of this biodiversity. Their name literally means “wings with scales,” as millions of overlapping scales give butterfly wings their beautiful colors.

Butterfly Life Span. The average lifespan of a butterfly is very short, usually lasting only about one month. Within this short lifespan are four distinct stages the egg, larva(caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. Females typically lay their eggs on specific host plants that will provide food when the caterpillars hatch. Later, the adults rely on special nectar plants for their food supply.


Photographing The Butterflies.

Photography Tips. Photographing butterflies is a great experience, best done at dawn or sunset, but can be done all day as the butterfly likes to flutter around between flowers so a zoom lens is needed at least a 200/300mm. And be patient and the butterfly will land somewhere, maybe best if you see a likely flower and focus on it so you are ready for when it does land. Post your butterfly photos to #BuggyFriday on Google Plus