{"id":77884,"date":"2025-05-20T10:02:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T16:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=77884"},"modified":"2025-05-29T13:22:54","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T19:22:54","slug":"how-long-is-butterfly-season-in-colorado-observe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/how-long-is-butterfly-season-in-colorado-observe\/","title":{"rendered":"How long is butterfly season in Colorado? Observe the Monarch, Painted Lady and many more."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The western tiger swallowtail is a common Colorado butterfly that lives in woodlands near water, as well as in urban parks and gardens. Photo courtesy of Butterfly Pavilion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Butterflies are more than a fleeting splash of color across Colorado’s skies \u2013 they are vital players in ecosystems and sources of endless fascination.<\/p>\n

From the elegant monarch, which travels thousands of miles, to the lesser-known butterflies frolicking through alpine meadows, Colorado’s butterfly season, from May through October, offers a spectacular display of nature’s beauty and resilience. Understanding these delicate dancers and their seasonal patterns may deepen your appreciation of their role in pollination and inspire you to help protect their fragile habitats.<\/p>\n

Butterfly season in Colorado<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From May through October, native Colorado butterflies emerge and migrate, both northbound and southbound.<\/p>\n

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The monarch butterfly migrates in Colorado May through October. Photo courtesy of Butterfly Pavilion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Butterfly species in Colorado<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Colorado is home to about 250 butterfly species and four times as many species of its less-colorful cousin, the moth, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture.<\/p>\n

Some of these butterfly species never leave, but others, like the monarch and painted lady, may travel thousands of miles, hatching offspring along the way to carry on their legacy and finish their journey. Colorado’s butterflies are as unique as they are beautiful, and their remarkable journeys have inspired celebrations and traditions for centuries.<\/p>\n

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The painted lady butterfly is attracted to more than 100 different types of flowers that grow throughout Colorado. It also enjoys alfalfa and clover. Photo courtesy of Butterfly Pavilion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What butterflies are in Colorado?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Although the monarch butterfly is probably the most recognizable butterfly in Colorado with its orange wings the resemble stained glass, hundreds more flutter through our backyards and the state’s alpine wildflower fields<\/a>, said Shiran Hershcovich, a lepidopterist with the Butterfly Pavilion<\/a> in Westminster.<\/p>\n

The painted lady displays brown and orange colors and a subtler pattern than the monarch, while the (male) tiger swallowtail shines with its yellow body and black stripes.<\/p>\n

Colorado’s state butterfly, the Colorado hairstreak, has harmonizing colors of purple and orange.<\/p>\n

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The Colorado hairstreak butterfly is Colorado’s state butterfly. The adult butterfly feeds on tree sap and aphid honeydew instead of flowers. Photo courtesy of Butterfly Pavilion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Cabbage White butterfly, the most abundant butterfly in Colorado, looks like a bride dancing among flowers on her wedding day.<\/p>\n

Among the lesser seen butterflies is the elusive Uncompahgre fritillary, so seldom spotted in its native habitat on Uncompahgre Peak, one of Colorado’s majestic 14ers<\/a> on the Western Slope, that it is considered endangered.<\/p>\n

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The cabbage white butterfly is seen in Colorado from March through September. Photo courtesy of Butterfly Pavilion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A butterfly’s life cycle and migration<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Butterflies are part of the insect order Lepidoptera, meaning scale wing. Characteristics include:<\/p>\n