The Butterfly Art Company
"The Flutter of Color"
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The Butterfly Art Company "The Flutter of Color"
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Welcome to our Butterfly Facts & Information Page Note: The Butterfly Art Company is firmly committed to the preservation, promotion, and expansion of the world population's knowledge of these wonderful creatures, and the habitats that are necessary for their survival. Did you know? That most adult butterflies only live between 2 and 14 days. That there are more than 170,000 identified species of Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths, and that only about a tenth of these are really butterflies, the rest are moths. That one of the smallest butterflies in the world has a wingspan of only 5/8ths of an inch (1.5cm). Its the Western Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis). The largest is not even a butterfly, its a moth. With a wing span of up to 12 inches (30cm). Its called the Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas). That the Monarch Butterfly is only one of a few butterflies that migrate, and have an adult life span up to around 8 months long. That less than 7% of the eggs laid in the wild will survive to become adult butterflies, where as eggs laid on farms will have a 70-90% survival rate. Some butterflies have a very unique way of camouflage, some look just like a leaf. The Kallima inachus is just one of many that blend into their surroundings. Do you know how to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Well, a butterfly is usually brightly colored, and has a clubbed antennae. If your still unsure, a butterfly will rest with its wings in an upright and closed position over their back. Moths rest with their wings in an open and flattened position, and have feathered - non clubbed antennae or a straight staff antennae without a club at the end. How to Attract Butterflies to your Garden: There are many reasons to start a butterfly garden in your backyard or on your window sill. The
four main goals of a butterfly garden are: Planting
gardens is environmentally sound and helps bring plants and flowers back into
populated, Bringing
native plants back into your local area, as these are often driven out by
commercial and Helping
to preserve many species of butterflies that are threatened by the ongoing
destruction of their habitat.
Enjoying
some of nature's most beautiful creatures by attracting them and nurturing them
around your home. Attracting
butterflies into your garden is not difficult. Butterflies
are equipped with a finely tuned and highly sensitive sense of smell. If you
plant the right flowers they will come and make your garden their home. Butterflies
can identify their favorite plants from miles away and travel for hours to taste
the nectar of the flowers. They will lay eggs and remain nearby as long as you
tend to your garden, keeping it healthy and blooming. In fact, you will be
surprised to learn that the butterflies will probably arrive within only a few
hours of the season's first flowers! It isn't difficult to make your backyard
home to dozens at a time, giving you hours of enjoyment and helping the
environment at the same time. Even
a planter attached to the window sill can bring you several butterflies at a
time. They may live nearby in a park or on a neighborhood tree and use your
flower box as their primary source of food, dropping by for a snack several
times a day. With the right selection of flowers, you may even be surprised to
find a few caterpillars as well! What
to plant to attract a specific butterfly: The
selection of the right plants is the key to the success of your butterfly
garden. Primarily, flowering nectar bushes and clumps of impatiens and the like
are favorite haunts for these colorful creatures. The butterflies suck out the
nectar as food, traveling from flower to flower, carrying pollen with them. This
close relationship is one of nature's finest natural cycles. With careful plant
selection, you can be assured of attracting butterflies for much of the year. Not
only are butterflies attracted to specific flowers, but they also seem to favor
specific colors, another factor which should be considered as you select your
plants. For instance, yellow Sulphur butterflies prefer yellow cassia, which
affords them excellent camouflage among the flowers. This relationship is
two-fold, in that the yellow cassia is also the Sulphur caterpillars' favored
food. The
growth cycle of the butterfly, from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, and
finally, to the emergence of a full-fledged butterfly takes only a few short weeks. You
should also consider the needs of the caterpillars as you sketch out your plan.
Adult butterflies that frequent your garden will make it their lifelong home if
they have a ready place to lay their eggs. Caterpillars
are fussy eaters, so you will have to include the specific types of leafy green
vines, shrubs, and trees that will like. Many species depend on a single plant
type for their caterpillar food source. As a result, an adult butterfly will
spend hours carefully selecting a specific leaf on the plant that will be best
for the newborn caterpillars. Include the right caterpillar plant in your garden
and you have the perfect invitation for long term residency. It's as easy as
that! Butterflies and Plant Foods:
The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Favorite Flowers: Butterfly weed, phlox, clover, and thistle
Caterpillar Plants: Carrots, parsley, dill, and celery
Common Range: Southeast, Desert Southwest, Midwest, New England
The Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)
Favorite Flowers: Butterfly bush, lilac, honeysuckle, and butterfly weed
Caterpillar Plants: wild cherry, willow, cottonwood, and tulip-poplars
Common Range: Nationwide, except Pacific Coast
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, goldenrod, phlox, and clover
Caterpillar Plants: Clover and alfalfa
Common Range: Nationwide, except Florida, Texas, and California
Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, butterfly weed, and centaury
Caterpillar Plants: Mustard, turnips, cabbages, and bee plant
Common Range: Nationwide, except for western Washington State
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, butterfly weed, and centaury
Caterpillar Plants: Dogwood, viburnum, New-Jersey-tea, and blueberry
Common Range: Nationwide, except for south and central Texas
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Favorite Flowers: Lantana, impatiens, shepherd's needle, and thistle
Caterpillar Plants: Passion vines
Common Range: Desert Southwest, Southeast, Wisconsin, California
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Favorite Flowers: Thistle, aster, and gloriosa daisy
Caterpillar Plants: Aster
Common Range: Nationwide, except Pacific Coast
Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, coreopsis, knapwee, and chicory
Caterpillar Plants: Plantain, snapdragon and toadflax
Common Range: Nationwide, except High Plains Other
Butterflies and their plant foods – regions:
American Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Favorite Flowers: Butterfly weed, goldenrod, yarrow, and buttercup
Caterpillar Plants: Sheep sorrel and curled dock
Common Range: Midwest, New England
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Favorite Flowers: Milkweed, lantana, lilac, cosmos, goldenrod and zinnia
Caterpillar Plants: Milkweed
Common Range: Nationwide
The Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Favorite Flowers: Honeysuckle, lantana, azalea, butterfly weed
Caterpillar Plants: Spicebush and sassafras
Common Range: Southeast, Desert Southwest, Midwest, New England
The Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon)
Favorite Flowers: Lantana, zinnia, butterfly bush, lily-of-the-nile
Caterpillar Plants: Carrot, fennel, anise, parsley
Common Range: High Plains, Pacific Coast
The Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)
Favorite Flowers: Honeysuckle, azalea, goldenrod, orange trees
Caterpillar Plants: Citrus trees, including oranges
Common Range: Southeast, Desert Southwest, Midwest
European Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae)
Favorite Flowers: Lantana, impatiens, marigold, mint, and dandelion
Caterpillar Plants: Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, radish, and nasturtium
Common Range: Nationwide
Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
Favorite Flowers: Shepherd's needle
Caterpillar Plants: Senna (cassia)
Common Range: Desert Southwest, Southeast, Midwest
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Favorite Flowers: Lantana, bougainvillea, hibiscus, and morning glory
Caterpillar Plants: Senna (cassia)
Common Range: Desert Southwest, Southeast, Midwest
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Favorite Flowers: Goldenrod, milkweed, clover, and winter cress
Caterpillar Plants: Hibiscus, clover, mallow, and vetch
Common Range: Nationwide
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Favorite Flowers: Butterfly weed, clover, shepherd's needle, and milkweed
Caterpillar Plants: Violets, passion vine, and stonecrop
Common Range: Desert Southwest, Southeast, High Plains, Midwest, New England
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Favorite Flowers: Gloriosa daisy, thistle, verbena, and butterfly weed
Caterpillar Plants: Violets
Common Range: High Plains, Midwest, New England, Washington and Oregon
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, cosmos, thistle, and buttonbush
Caterpillar Plants: Thistle, mallow, and hollyhock
Common Range: Nationwide
Favorite Flowers: Zinnia, honeysuckle, butterfly weed, joe-pyeweed
Caterpillar Plants: Locust
Common Range: Nationwide, except for southern Texas, Arizona, and Nevada
Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Favorite Flowers: Aster, fleabane, knapweed, and shepherd's needle
Caterpillar Plants: Mallow and hollyhock
Common Range: Nationwide
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
Favorite Flowers: Statice, aster, lantana, marigold, and ironweed
Caterpillar Plants: Bermuda grass and crabgrass
Common Range: Southeast, Desert Southwest, Midwest, California
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris)
Favorite Flowers: Marigold, aster, butterfly weed, and buttonbush
Caterpillar Plants: Bermuda grass and crabgrass Visit us again for new and updated facts and information.
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