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Butterflies, Caterpillars, And Their Preferred Food
American copper - Sheep sorrel, curly dock - Small, slug like larvae are a
dull rose with yellow stripe. ¾" long.
Buckeye - Plantain stonecrop, monkey flower - larvae is dark with a yellow
or orange side stripe. 2" long.
Monarch - milkweed - larvae is black with yellow and white bands. 2 ¾" long.
Mourning cloak - Elm, willow, poplar hackberry - the larvae is blue black
with multiple white dots. 2 ¼" long.
Red admiral - nettles - Variable, the larvae can be black, green, and
brown with white spots. 1 ¼" long.
Tiger swallowtail - willow, cottonwood, cherries, poplar, tulip tree. The
larvae are green with yellow eyespots with black dots. Body has blue spots.
2 ½- long.
Mini-Butterfly House
Butterfly Home - Screen House
Butterfly Net
More Fun Insect Products
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Gardens may be planted with certain types of plants to attract butterflies.
In general, butterflies like sunny locations with a water source. This
can be a pool, fountain, or bird bath.
Perennial flowers include:
Aster, butterfly weed, butterfly bush (buddleia), dianthus (sweet William),
catmint, viola.
Annuals include:
Ageratum, snapdragon, cosmos, fuchsia, impatiens, lobelia, alyssum,
four o’clock, geraniums, marigolds, nasturtium, zinnia.
Suitable plants are not limited to this listing but these are merely the
most common and universal plants on which most adult butterflies feed.
More information on this subject can be found in our supply of books on
butterflies.
Butterfly feeders can also be used to attract them to your yard. Suitable
habitat for butterflies must be near your home for these to be effective.
True butterflies in US have the following families:
Danaidae - monarchs.
Heliconiidae - disagreeable body fluids and poisonous - make them
undesirable as food.
Libythedae - snout butterflies
Lycaenidae - Gossamer winged includes hairstreaks, blues and coppers
Nymphalidae - brush footed butterflies
Papilionidae - Parnassians and swallowtails. Swallowtails are the
physically largest in US - up to 5"
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Butterfly Life Cycle
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