Nearby Nature: The Butterflies of Northern Virginia
Photos by Kim Hosen and Tony Coomer; Text by Pat Durkin, Amanda Neet, Kim Hosen, Robert Neil Smith
Click here to view the butterfly list for Merrimac Farm WMA.

Butterflies are fun and easy to observe. They can be found everywhere, from your back yard to stream banks to fields. Warm sunny days between mid-April and mid-October are especially good times to hunt for butterflies. The flight periods of some species last only a few weeks, so look often. When looking for good spots, consider what most butterflies like: sunshine and flowers. The best possibilities are open areas and in dappled light along forest edges, especially where flowers are in bloom. The variety of butterflies increases with the size and diversity of the habitat.