Sunshine in mid-July brings out more butterflies. Small tortoiseshell and comma butterflies have been emerging from the chrysalis state. Their parents were the butterflies that hibernated last winter and laid their eggs in the spring. The new butterflies warm themselves on sunny paths, and take nectar from such newly opened flowers as the greater knapweed, which has purple blooms like many-rayed suns.
Small tortoiseshells are orange with black markings and a border like blue pearls on their hind wings. They are very common in some summers, but there has been a dearth of them in the past two years. Comma butterflies are a bright tawny orange with black markings. They glow vividly in the air as they fly past, usually going very fast. When they settle they are seen to have ragged-edged wings, which help to camouflage them when their wings are closed and only the drab underwing shows. They get their name from a little silver comma on the underwing.
Both these species will lay eggs that will lead to more butterflies in September, and those will be the next generation to hibernate.