From Pemaquid Point, Maine...Found this beautiful thistle with butterfly and bees...
Thistle with butterfly and bee
butterfly
Pradamary Great color in your pictures and I was wondering what kind of a butterfly that is? I have planted butterfly bushes the past few years and now the butterflies are really enjoying the blooms for nectar. Sometimes I see several different butterflies on one bush!
cuckoo
I believe that is a monarch buttefly, my buttefly bush is just reaching it's peak, haven't been around lately to see if it's attracting anything. expect to be home now, will look and see what I get. Monarch's are big around these parts. Mary
I am pretty certain it is a Painted Lady - we get tons of them around here. They love my zinnias.
It's definitely not a Monarch. I agree with Zarebeth, it's a Painted Lady. Great photos.
zarebeth and pajarito, thanks for the clarification. I'm clearly not up on my butterflies...I'm still just identifying plants and birds...thanks though...Painted Lady, I'll remember that. Mary
pradamary, Great photos. Beautiful butterfly. Nice to see the lovely pruple thistle and the bee. Thanks for sharing. DonnaS
pradamary I looked for pictures of your butterfly in my Audubon book and I agree that the painted lady butterfly seems to match your butterfly. Interestingly it has a nick name as the thistle butterfly because it prefers thistle as its nectar source!!!! It is said to be the most wide spread butterfly anywhere. I learned something new today!
A second butterfly called the American Painted Lady looks similiar to me but it seems to have deeper darker colors than yours. Lots of fun here with your butterfly picture. Now what kind of bee is that on your thistle? Just kidding!
cuckoo