Butterflies have preferences too!

Our butterfly season of 2019 has officially ended here at monarch waystation 25019. But I would like to go over our final totals for this year and also share what seemed to work best for us, to possibly help you in the future.  

Totals for the 2019 season 

1010 total butterflies released!

986 monarchs released 

494 females 492 males  

Monarch butterfly emerging from chrysalis

24 other butterflies (23 butterflies & 1 moth) 

16 Eastern Black Swallowtails

5 Spicebush Swallowtails

1 Common Buckeye

1 Luna Moth 

1 Pearl Crescent In 2020 we will be expanding our pollinator habitats.  I plan on adding many more nectar plants, a bigger variety of host plants and more natives, to not only encourage more butterflies and pollinators, but draw more variety of species, of butterflies and pollinators to our yard! Currently we have three varieties of milkweed (common milkweed, swamp milkweed and butterfly weed) in our yard, the Monarchs preferred common milkweed above all others for laying their eggs.

Male Monarch Butterfly on Autumn Joy Sedum flower

This past spring we planted a spicebush plant to attract Spicebush Swallowtail.  We found our first caterpillars within one month of planting our new spicebush. We are still currently searching our property in hopes of finding a sassafras tree (which is also a host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars)

Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar on Spicebush leaf

In our herb garden, we planted dill and parsley for the Eastern Black Swallowtails.  All the eggs were laid on dill, and that is also what we found all the caterpillars on.  However once they were in their enclosures, we fed them parsley and Queen Anne's Lace, because we had it in abundance. 

Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillar on dill

The Luna Moth and Common Buckeye, that were found were ready to pupate, and the Pearl Crescent was found as a chrysalis, so they did not require any food. But just in case, the Luna Moth was given an option of hickory leaves. The Common Buckeye was given the option of plantain.  The Pearl Crescent was already in a chrysalis, but I would have fed it white wood aster leaves. (I was very excited because this was my first chrysalis that I have ever found in the wild!)

Pearl Crescent butterfly waiting for release

This is what the butterflies our gardens preferred or were given, not to say that this will be what all of these caterpillar species will prefer in every area. Hopefully with this list you can get a better idea of what you may like to plant for the upcoming year or where to look to find more eggs and caterpillars, if you're looking.

Monarch egg on Common Milkweed

I am so excited for next year and I hope that this list is much longer at the end of our season in 2020! What will you be focusing on in your garden? We would love to hear from you, and your plans for next year!  

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