Attracting and Protecting Butterflies Paul Guillebeau, Ph.D. UGA Entomology

Butterfly Life Cycle Egg – a few days Larva – a few weeks –Wandering phase – looking for a place to pupate Pupa – variable Adult – a few weeks

Overwintering Different types of Lepidoptera spend the winter in each life stage Some do not overwinter; they spend the winter in warmer climates

General Principles Larval food – Depends on species Adult food – Continuous nectar sources Other adult needs –Water –Minerals –Places to rest – diversity of plants –Places to bask in the sun - stones

General Principles Don’t use insecticides on larval or adult food sources Most insecticides are broad spectrum Even Bacillus thuringiensis is dangerous for any caterpillars that eat it “Safe” insecticides include soaps and oils

General Principles Adult attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped, clustered, and have short flower tubes. Adults feed in sunshine Water/mineral sources must be shallow

Adult Puddling A shallow pan filled with sand or small stones Add water, soil, manure, overripe fruit, a little salt, sports drinks, stale beer, etc. Make sure it is safe from cats

Good Butterfly Plants Zinnias, lantana, buddleia, marigolds, tithonia (Mexican sunflower), milkweeds, verbenas and many mint plants Diversity is good Native plants are important –Co-evolution of plants and butterflies –Butterflies may be fooled – larvae don’t survive –

Common Georgia Butterflies Monarch Larval food - Milkweed

Spicebush Swallowtail Larval food – spicebush, sassafrass

Tiger Swallowtail Larval food - tulip poplar, green ash, white ash, sweet bay, wild cherry

Black Swallowtail Larval food - dill, fennel, parsley and Queen Anne’s lace

Giant Swallowtail Larval food – citrus

Pipevine Swallowtail Larval food - pipevine, snakeroot

Gulf Fritillary Larval food - mollypop or maypop, green passionflower or other passionflowers

Long Tailed Skipper Larval food – members of bean family –beggar's tick (Desmodium spp.), hog peanut (Amphicarpa bracteata), kudzu (Pueraria lobata), and wisteria (Wisteria sinensis), and edibles such as garden peas (Pisum sativa) and various kinds of beans Pueraria lobataWisteria sinensisPisum sativaPueraria lobataWisteria sinensisPisum sativa

Silver Spotted Skipper

Painted Lady Larval food - thistle

Mourning Cloak Larval food - willows, elms

Gray Hairstreak Larval food - beans, clover