Oh wow, I am jealous, how fun to discover butterflies in Minnesota already! I plan on working in the yard all day today that is if the weather cooperates, maybe I will get lucky and see some kind of butterfly, I have seen mourning cloaks and question marks at our farm before so.... I may venture around and see if any milkweed is popping up yet too.

Woohoo, Tony! Those black swallowtails are such beauties as is the question mark. It IS a question mark and not a comma, right?

Sherry

Sherry, I just looked in my Audubon butterfly book. The golden markings at the bottom of the wings would seem to indicate comma. Question marks have more black at the bottom of the wings and what appears to be a blue/purple outline.

My third BST is definitely hatching today!

Minrose, keep your eye out for all kinds of early butterflies and insects. There's a lot to see! :)

One question, how long before you should switch out your 'rotten' fruit? When is it TOO rotten? lol

Your black swallowtail is beautiful. The colors are so bright when they first emerge.

I can't keep fruit outside long enough for it to rot. Something always gets it overnight, possums maybe, or raccoons. I tried smooshing some rotten bananas into the bark of a log last week and it attracted a bunch of flies, no butterflies this time. I'll try again when it warms up some more.

Christie I put the bananas in netting (from grocery store oranges) and hung it up from a shepherds hook. That might eliminate your critter problem and also give you a better view of any butterfly visitors :)