More of the Same

Sorry but it's another butterfly bush post.  The last few weeks I have been visited by THREE butterflies that are uncommon here in Rhode Island.  You already saw the Red-Spotted Purple.  Was also visited by a Spicebush Swallowtail.

and the Monarch-mimic, the Viceroy.  Do you know the difference?  Which is which??

The bottom two photos are the Viceroy.  You can see that the Monarch has two rows of white spots around the edges of its wings while the Viceroy only has one row, among other differences.

I hadn't seen any Monarchs all summer long and was thinking just that when I looked out and saw one.  Couldn't believe my eyes.  And the next day I saw a second one - at least I'm pretty sure it was a second one because it had a broken hind wing and the first one didn't.  The first visit almost ended in tragedy because as I was following it flying from blossom to blossom and snapping away it suddenly landed right next to a huge praying mantis!

The butterfly flitted away unharmed.  I had just seen a big grasshopper right about where the praying mantis was sitting.

I think maybe THAT was lunch and it wasn't hungry anymore.

I've seen the Viceroy several times now and I think the Spicebush was just here again yesterday, but I didn't get a very good look at it.  I'm sure you're hoping that this is the last butterfly bush post and it will be as long as I don't have any more surprise visitors.