The small, white butterfly leisurely flew across my yard, like a stone skipping across a pond. It didn’t seem to be in any hurry, but then again, I’m not sure what its “hurried flight” looks like, or if it even has one. After watching it for several minutes, I realized this winged wonder did have a destination, however. The critter zoomed in on a single dandelion growing near the edge our fence. How did it see it? How did it find this one individual flower growing in the tall grass? The answer may surprise you.
All butterflies are attracted to certain plants, usually for food. Adult “winged” butterflies are drawn to certain blooming flowers by scent, but also by their color. Scientists have discovered that these insects can see ultraviolet light, something humans cannot. They are attracted to bright-colored flowers in yellows, reds, oranges, purples and blues. The adults seek them out to “drink” the nectar using a long, snout-like body part called a proboscis, since they do not actually have teeth. Notice I said “adult” butterflies. The young larvae (caterpillars) do have mouths with chewing parts and gobble up different species of plants primarily as a food source. Not all adult butterflies “eat” nectar, however. Some woodland species prefer tree sap, rotting fruit, carrion (dead animals) and yes, even animal droppings! These may include Red Admiral, Common Wood Nymphs, Mourning Cloaks, Commas and Question Marks – yes these last two are real butterfly species’ names, not just punctuation marks!
Knowing which plants butterflies prefer can help you save time, money and effort, if you decide to attract these beautiful insects into your backyard. Before investing too much, talk to your local nursery to see what they may recommend. Personally, I try to stay with native perennials as much as possible, such as Purple Coneflower, Black-eyed Susan, New England Aster, Joe-Pye Weed and Butterfly Weed. But, I do admit that you’ll also find a few Sedum, Lantana and Zinnias growing around our home to add even more nectar choices for our winged visitors. The tricky part of planning your butterfly garden is choosing a variety of flower species that can provide nectar from spring through the first frost of autumn. One of those plants, the Common Milkweed, is especially important for one “majestic” species that migrates approximately 2,500 miles every year, the Monarch butterfly.
Monarch butterflies get their name from early settlers who were impressed by their striking colors and gave it the name “monarch” honor of “King William, Prince of Orange, stateholder of Holland, and later King of England.” They are the only insect that migrates south every fall to escape the cold winters of the north. Most Monarchs East of the Rockies journey to the high mountains of Mexico where they roost in trees in large groups. They will return to Pennsylvania the following spring to lay eggs and start the life cycle all over again. However, scientists have discovered that an adult only makes the round-trip one time. It will be the fourth generation of this returning adult that makes the same trip the next autumn. Several questions still remain unanswered to scientists, such as, how do they know where to go each year? How did their great-great-grandparents know where to go the previous fall? Lastly, how do they navigate, and all end up in the same mountainous region of Mexico each year, many times in the same exact tree? Solving these mysteries may help in conserving the species and the habitat it depends on to survive.
Whether it’s the marvel of the Monarchs, the bold colors of the Tiger Swallowtail or the gentle flight of the common Cabbage butterfly, these winged insects are welcome visitors to our backyards, meadows and woodlands, and important strand in nature’s web of life!
Rich Wood is Region Manager with the Montgomery County Division of Parks, Trails, and Historic Sites. He has a B.S. in Environmental Education/Interpretation from Penn State and enjoys all things outdoors.
