Butterflies

We saw many more Monarch butterflies on Mackinac Island. The Milkweed on the island are different from the Swamp Milkweed we see on the lake shores; these are growing in dryer soils.
And they are again different from the Milkweed I'm familiar with in the Rocky Mountain West.

This other butterfly is a stranger to me - oh how I wish I still had my butterfly identification book! - but was captivating, black with white & deep orange markings. Darn thing refused to open his wings for me. You see it is feeding on white blooms; different butterflies require different host plants.