Week 20: Common Buttonbush

I first became acquainted with the Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) when I began photographing butterflies.  I remember my first 4th of July Butterfly Count sitting on the edge of the lake at Daingerfield State Park and watching the procession of butterflies that would visit those funny spherical flowers.  So when we moved to our current house I was ecstatic to find two nice large buttonbush trees by the pond.

This week I noticed that they have started blooming and are attracting a wonderful variety of butterflies.

Spicebrush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) with its missing orange spot.

Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 

Knowing how much butterflies liked the nectar I figured moths would to; so I set out on a night visit to the pond and was not disappointed.

The most common moth by far was this drab little Pyralid that I have not been able to identify yet.

Maple Looper Moth - Parallelia bistriaris (#8727)
Forewing: 18mm

Little Nymph Underwing - Catocala micronympha (#8876)
Forewing: 22mm
Also reported in Zones 3,5