BUTTERFLY GARDENING (con't)

Attract butterflies to your yard

     Provide both nectar flowers and larva plants

          Nectar flowers – many available

               Mix of perennials and annuals

                    Good perennials – Black-eyed Susan, Liatris, Coriopsis, Butterfly

                         weed. Butterfly bush, Coneflower, Aster, Joe Pye weed, Phlox

                    Annuals good so have continuous bloom – Lantana, Zinnias, Cosmos,

                         Verbena bonariensis, Tithonia

          Larva food plants – expect them to be eaten!

   Can mix them with the nectar plants or have them nearby

               Some butterflies species-specific, only use one host plant

                     Monarch – milkweeds

                     Great Spangled Fritillary - violets

    Most butterfly larva will eat 2, 3 or more host plants

           Black Swallowtail – parsley, dill, fennel, wild carrot

                       Red spotted purple – wild cherry, willow

                       Mourning Cloak – elm, willow

                       Tiger Swallowtail – poplar, wild cherry

Sunny location best

     Butterflies usually don’t fly unless temperature above 70 degrees

     Plants usually grow and bloom better in sun

     Eggs hatch faster

     Caterpillars grow faster

     Sheltered location

          Butterflies have to use more energy when flying in the wind

          Row of shrubs or wall

               Butterfly bush, caryopteris, lilac, mock orange, spicebush, viburnum

     Rocks for the butterflies to bask on and soak up warmth

     Water for ‘puddling’

          Some butterflies like to drink from wet edges of puddles – minerals (sodium)

               Swallowtails, blues, sulphurs and fritallaries

          Actual puddle or large flower pot saucer filled with dirt

          Bird bath saucer filled with stones to project above the water

     Fruit – slice of watermelon

          Rotting fruit

     Never use any pesticides in or near your garden

     A ‘wild’ area with native plants is great for butterflies

     Be very watchful when clearing the garden

Life Cycle of Butterfly - Metamorphosis

     Egg

          Most butterflies lay their eggs singly but a few lay them in clusters

          Vary in shape – round, long and thin, oval

          Color – greenish, pale yellow, pink, yellow to red

          Time to hatch varies with species – 3 –12 days

     Caterpillar – larval stage

          Head, thorax with 3 pair legs, abdomen with 5 pair prolegs

          7 – 21 days depending on species

          Many different colors

          Skin doesn’t grow so has to molt 4-6 times

          Finds a location to pupate

                Attaches itself with silk to plant or object

                    Becomes quiet for about a day

                         Pupa skin forms under the caterpillar skin

          Last molt becomes a pupa

     Pupa or chrysalis

          7 – 14 days, depending on species

          Many different shapes depending on species

     Adult butterfly

          Pupa skin splits near head, adult butterfly crawls out

          Hangs upside down, pumps fluid into wings to make them expand

          Full size in about 15 minutes, ready to fly in about an hour

          Most adults live around 2 weeks

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