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 Sulphur Butterflies Mating on Purple Spider Flower |
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| Monarch Butterfly | ||
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| Pipevine Swallowtails | ||
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 Butterflies Mudpuddling eating salt and nutrients |
 Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies Mating |
| Tiger Swallowtail, Pale Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly | ||
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| Butterfly Drawings and Art | ||
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| Gulf Fritillary Butterfly | ||
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| Hummingbird Moths, Bumble Bees | ||
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| Painted Lady Butterflies | ||
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| Butterfly & Gardening Articles | |
| Creating A Butterfly Garden by Tong Lin Butterflies have enchanted humans for thousands of years. Aside from being beautiful, they often considered to be symbols of hope, beneficial changes, and even spiritual salvation. A great way to bring these lovely creatures closer to your home is with the construction of a garden that includes plants known to attract butterflies. In order to build a successful butterfly garden, you’ll need to consider how to nurture butterflies at every stage of their growth. From Egg to Chrysalis Butterflies go through an enormous amount of physical change over the course of their lives. As a result, the types of plants that they need to have on hand varies according to these stages. In many cases, plants with fine leaves are most favored by butterflies looking for a place to lay their eggs. These plants are also commonly used as food resources for the caterpillars once they hatch. Carrots and parsley are two plants with this type of leave that is so often favored by butterflies. However, if the plants may not be able to serve double-duty ?because caterpillars will also eat the parsley leaves, you may want to plant some indoors for your cooking needs. Queen Anne’s lace and milkweed are also highly attractive to butterflies during this stage of their life. Milkweed is also one of the most favored plants by caterpillars that are building their chrysalises. If you interested in attracting a specific type of butterfly, do some research to find out which specific plants they are most attracted to during this stage. Chances are, if a species of butterfly is known to visit your geographic region, there likely some type of plant in the area that is attractive to them. Your local cooperative extension agent may be able to give you this type of information, or at least help you locate it. The Butterfly Once a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it lives of nectar instead of plant matter. Most butterflies look for brightly colored flowers with many small flowers packed closely together. For example, the Mexican butterfly weed, milkweed, and gayfeather will all attract butterflies. Coneflowers, asters, daisies and Indian blanket flowers also tend to be irresistible to butterflies. You’ll also want to make sure to provide some shelter for butterflies. Typically, cedar butterfly houses will be suitable for this purpose. You can also provide some broad leafed plants that provide refuge during the rain or when there are predators around. Whether you drawn by the mysterious Monarch Butterflies or simply enjoy the sight of yellow and blue butterflies, there are a number of plants you can use to attract them into your yard. While milkweed and butterfly bushes are two of the most common plants used to attract butterflies, do some research to find out which butterflies are most common to your area. Once you know which butterflies you want to attract, you can begin the process of including plants in your garden that will get their attention and make it easier for them to survive. Are you interested in improving your home and garden? Then check out http://www.myhousekeepingblog.com My Housekeeping Blog. Article Source: Creating A Butterfly Garden |
Monark Butterfly Plant by Jim Pratt The poisonous Milkweed is the primary food source for the Monarch Butterfly pupa, or caterpillar (which is classified as a specialist herbivore). Milkweeds are the only source of nourishment up until they are released from their cocoon (chrysalis) and transformed (or undergo metamorphosis) into a butterfly. After transformation the adults drink water and extract nectar from many kinds of flowers. Monarchs do pollinate flowers, but not nearly as proficiently as bees. The vast majority of all Monarchs in North America make their home in agricultural areas that are abundant with the milkweed plants whose leaves provide a safe place to deposit their eggs, and also to feed their offspring. When returning every spring from their winter migration, the butterflies will stop over at the resurging milkweed and flowering plants and continue northward. The overall milkweed plant family contains over two thousand varieties. North America is home to over 105 versions. The Monarchs lay their eggs on several varieties, but seem to prefer the native, instead of hybrid, varieties. Many kinds of milkweeds found in North America contain poisons and are toxic enough to harm livestock and other animals that have not learned through evolution to avoid them. The milkweeds that contain bad tasting and bitter heart poisoning ingredients (cardiac glycosides) are ingested by the Monarch larvae, and remains in the adult butterfly. Birds, and other predators, eating Monarchs containing these poisons, can become very ill, possibly fatally so. The Monarchs themselves (and some other insects) have developed immunity to these poison juices. Interestingly the Viceroy Butterfly, although not containing toxins, has mimicked itself over time to look very similar to the Monarch, thereby deterring many predators. On the predator side, two species birds, the Black Back Oriole and the Black Headed Grosbeak are not affected by the Monarch’s toxins, and are this butterfly’s main adversary. Varieties of milkweed are found abundantly, and although the United States government has not labeled the plant as poisonous or noxious, farmers consider the plant a weed and a real nuisance to their livestock and crops. Farmers often apply herbicides to large acreages to kill unwanted vegetation. This has resulted in a very sizable decrease of the Monarch Butterfly’s source of the milkweed plant, especially throughout the mid-western agricultural areas, thereby affecting their summertime migratory behavior. Scientists are now able to determine the migratory paths of a Monarch Butterfly. An adult can be analyzed to determine exactly which species of milkweed it fed upon earlier in its caterpillar state. As milkweed varieties are often confined to a particular locality, a Monarch found in eastern West Virginia may have been born in south western Georgia! To learn much more about Monarch Butterflies visit monarch-butterfly.info - All Rights Reserved © Jim Pratt. One of Jim's most popular writings is about the Monarch's amazing several thousand mile annual migration to Mexico and California monarch-butterfly.info/Migration.html Article Source: Monark Butterfly Plant |
2005 - 2009 Jill W. Lang. All images mine, all rights reserved.
