Butterfly gardening is a very rewarding hobby. After the garden is established, the local butterflies begin to visit. Once you draw them in, identifying butterflies in your garden can also be a lot of fun. Luckily, there are many sources on the internet to help with identification. Google Images is a great resource you can use. When attempting to identify your species, many websites, including this one, use a variety of technical terms and names for various body and wing parts. Wikipedia has a helpful page devoted to “Glossary of Entomology Terms“. Included on this page are a few diagrams for easy reference:
Butterfly Parts (Note: the image depicts only one set of wings)
Butterfly wing terms
In addition to the above, the term dorsal refers to the top side of the wing (either forewing or hindwing), while ventral refers to the bottom side of the wing. Hopefully this helps a little as you begin identifying and/or writing about the particular species of butterflies in your garden.
