Best Months to Observe Butterflies in Phoenix

Butterflies are most active when it’s warm and when nectar sources are readily available. So what are the best months to observe butterflies in the Phoenix Sonoran Desert?

In Phoenix, Queens, Fiery Skippers and Gulf Fritillaries are usually around all summer. You can expect to see a showing of butterflies in the late winter into Spring, but the biggest show often comes in the months of August, September and October.

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Western Pygmy Blue, Oct 25, 2021

The three popular months coincide with Phoenix Monsoon and quite a number of blooming nectar plants. Following are some observations from the 2021/2022 calendar years in Phoenix. Note that 2021 was an amazing banner year for butterflies!

Some October Observations

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Large Orange Sulphur
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Monarch
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Painted Lady
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Mexican Yellow
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American Snout
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Dainty Sulphur
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Ceraunus Blue
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Orange Sulphur
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Western Pygmy Blue
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Fiery Skipper
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Cloudless Sulphur
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Great Purple Hairstreak
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Queen
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Sleepy Orange
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Funereal Duskywing
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Echo Azure
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Arizona Powdered Skipper
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Cloudless Sulphur
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Tiny Checkerspot (Pinal County)
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California Patch
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Empress Leilia
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Violet-clouded Skipper
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Fatal Metalmark
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West Coast Lady
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Queen
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Eufala Skipper
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Northern White Skipper

Some November Observations

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Western Pygmy Blue
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Reakirt’s Blue
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Sleepy Orange
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Mexican Yellow
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American Lady
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Checkered White
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Orange Sulphur
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Dainty Sulphur
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Pipevine Swallowtail
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Painted Lady
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Common and White Checkered Skippers
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Variegated Fritillary
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Gray Hairstreak
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Queen
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American Lady
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American Snout
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Fiery Skipper
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Gulf Fritillary
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Gray Buckeye
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Monarch
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Red Admiral

Some December Observations

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Painted Lady
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Funereal Duskywing
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Gulf Fritillary
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Monarch
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West Coast Lady
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Queen
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Gray Buckeye
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Mexican Yellow
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Dainty Sulphur
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Ceraunus Blue

Some January Observations

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Gulf Fritillary
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Queen
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Monarch
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Reakirt’s Blue
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Queen
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American Snout
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Painted Lady
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West Coast Lady

Some February Observations

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Mourning Cloak
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American Snout
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Gray Hairstreak
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Sleepy Orange
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Orange Sulphur

Some March Observations

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Red Admiral
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Western Giant Swallowtail
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Funereal Duskywing
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West Coast Lady
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Great Purple Hairstreak

Some April Observations

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Marine Blue
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Gray Buckeye
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Dainty Sulphur
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Echo Azure
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Sleepy Orange
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Common Checkered Skipper
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Juniper Hairstreak
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American Snout
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Painted Lady

Some May Observations

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Cabbage White
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Northern White Skipper
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Echo Azure
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Pipevine Swallowtail
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California Patch

Some June Observations

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Reakirt’s Blue
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Marine Blue
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Empress Leilia
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Ceraunus Blue

Some July Observations

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Fiery Skipper
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Queen
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Queen Caterpillar
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Sleepy Orange
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Gulf Fritillary
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