What is a Butterfly? PLACES TO SEE BUTTERFLY Butterfly

Blowing Rocks Preserve Butterflies are members of the insect order Gumbo Limbo Nature Center , a word that describes the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge presence of scales on their wings. It is Okeeheelee Nature Center derived from the Greek words lepis, for scale, Daggerwing Nature Center and pteron, for wing. Butterflies, like other Mounts Botanical insects, have segmented bodies divided into Robert J. Huckshorn -FAU Jupiter In three major parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. Every butterfly has four stages to NURSERIES THAT SELL its life: egg, caterpillar (larva), chrysalis BUTTERFLY (pupa), and adult. The time spent in each Meadow Beauty Nursery—Lake Worth South Florida stage varies with butterfly species. The 561-966-6848 gradual passage through the four stages is Mesozoic Landscaping—Boynton Beach known as metamormorphosis. The cycle 561-967-2630 begins as the adult female lays her eggs on Native Choice Nursery—Boynton Beach 561-756-4370 the appropriate caterpillar food . Indian Trails Native Nursery—Lake Worth 561-641-9488 Four Stages of BUTTERFLY BOOKS Butterflies through Binoculars: A Field, Finding and Gardening Guide to Butterflies in Florida, by Jeffrey Metamorphosis Glassberg, Marc Minno and John Calhoun

Butterflies of the East Coast by Rick Cech

Florida Butterfly Gardening, by Marc and Maria Minno Egg ORGANIZATIONS North American Butterfly Association (NABA)– ATALA CHAPTER To find out about meetings and field trips, call the butterfly hotline at 561/706-6732 or check out their web page at: http://www.nabapalmbeach.org Adult Larva ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A This brochure was created by the Florida Center beginner’s guide for Environmental Studies and the Atala Chapter to creating of the North American Butterfly Association. Pupa Cover Artwork: Atala Hairstreak lifecycle on your backyard Coontie by Leslie Smith butterfly garden What is a Butterfly Garden? Caterpillar Food Plants Nectar Plants

here have all the butterflies gone? Few Butterflies must have plants on which to lay Flowering nectar plants are the most important W sights are more delightful than that of a their eggs. Butterflies have evolved with the source of food and nourishment for adult butterfly flitting from flower to flower. But sadly, native plants of a particular ecosystem and, butterflies. Nectar is a sweet, sugary substance butterflies have become all too rare in our therefore, are “finicky” eaters. In fact, most produced by many flowers. The butterfly obtains rapidly changing environment. butterflies will only eat one type of plant making sugars from it that it needs for energy to survive. it very important to choose the correct plants for Due in part to increasing environmental the butterflies that are found in your area. awareness, more and more people are Butterflies are equipped with a highly sensitive *Firebush changing their home landscaping methods in sense of smell, which enables them to identify Hamelia patens order to attract and conserve butterflies. their caterpillar food plants from great Reducing the use of and growing distances. Some excellent caterpillar food **Porterweed butterfly-friendly plants are simple ways to sources for our area are listed below – many of Stachytarpheta spp. invite butterflies to your doorstep. Butterfly these are available in native varieties. If you *Scorpiantail Heliotrope Gardening is a concept designed to attract choose an exotic species, make sure that it is Heliotropium angiospermum butterflies through the growing of two types of not listed as an “invasive” exotic. plants: food plants for the caterpillars and Ageratum spp. nectar plants for the adults. Butterfly Caterpillar Food *Blue Mistflower Choosing the location for your garden is very Zebra Heliconian **Passionvine Conoclinium coelestinum Gulf Fritillary spp. important. Butterflies are “sun-loving” — they Golden Dewdrop use their wings as solar panels as they need to Julia Heliconian Duranta repens have their bodies at a certain temperature Monarch **Milkweed before they can fly. Also, most butterfly plants *Butterfly Sage spp. prefer full sun. Shrubs and trees will provide Cordia globosa the protection that butterflies need on windy or Polydamas Swallowtail Pipevine rainy days, as well as providing a location for *Wild Coffee Aristolochia spp. Psychotria nervosa butterflies to roost at night. Grouping plants with similar needs for mass effect to attract Black Swallowtail Parlsey, Fennel, Dill *Fiddlewood butterflies is also helpful. Citharexylum spinosum Orange-barred Sulphur Cassia, *Senna and Jatropha spp. This brochure includes Cloudless Sulphur *Chaemecrista spp. information on the types of ** plants needed to start a Giant Swallowtail **Citrus L. involucrata or depressa butterfly garden and will introduce you to just a few Palamedes Swallowtail *Red Bay Pentas (Red & Hot Pink esp.) of the species of butterflies Zebra Heliconian **Plumbago which are found in south Cassius Blue Butterfly Bush Florida. Once you have Florida’s State Butterfly Buddleia spp. an active butterfly garden, Atala *Coontie you may want to learn the butterflies you are *Native Plant seeing. Close-focusing binoculars and a good *Native Plant **Native varieties available field guide are essential for this effort. **Native varieties available