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| Black Swallowtail |
The life of a
butterfly is a perpetual gamble. In a
span of a week or two, a female will lay hundreds of eggs, but only a very few
will become adult butterflies. Most will die. Knowing the chacteristics of north Texas
butterflies will greatly increase your chances of having them visit your
landscape, i.e. know “what makes a
butterfly tick”.
About 440 species
of butterflies have been reported in Texas. They are all vulnerable to
disease and predators during the larval (caterpillar) stage in the spring. Just
before this time, the mother looks for what are called “host plants” to lay
eggs on. The caterpillars must be able to find the correct host plants. The absence
of these plants affects the number of butterflies. Sometimes the host plant is considered
a “weed” and is destroyed by the gardener often with indiscriminate use of herbicides
or insectiodeds. Out of each 500 eggs a butterfly lays, fewer than five survive typical backyard
conditions.
This pathetic
survival rate of under 1% is frustrating to landowners who try to attract the
beauties by planting the host plants necessary for laying eggs and feeding
larvae. Birds can be a small problem (because
they have been known to feed on butterflies) but toads, frogs, lizards,
rodents and snakes hunt butterflies too. By far the biggest problem, however,
is humans. It is also the problem that’s most easily solved.
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| Red Admiral |
The correct kinds
of host plants for north Texas butterflies include lantana, milkweed, yarrow,
parsley, mistflower, butterfly weed and all native grasses. (The term “weed” merely stems from an Old
English word of the 9th century meaning “uncultivated”) A main
criterion is that you need a ”mass” of the same plant species (at least a dozen), not just one or two.
Plants that are native to this area are spotted more easily by butterflies, due
to genetics.
If you’re serious
about attracting them nothing should liberally be sprayed or spread on your
landscape that’s poisonous or artificial. “Spot-spray” only in spots where there’s
a specific problem. Forget most weed-killers and pesticides (butterflies and caterpillars are insects
after all). Caterpillars are also often confused with more destructive
bugs. For example, a homeowner might squash a green, yellow & black
caterpillar on a parsley plant without realizing it will soon become a gorgeous
Eastern black Swallowtail.
If you want
to attract butterflies into your yard, it’s wise to remember the old saying
about not counting your chickens before they hatch. Even if you do all the
right things the butterflies may not come in throngs. Maybe some neighbors have
sprayed a whole lot of poisons or maybe a good piece of a forest in the
mountains of Mexico was cut down… it’s always a gamble! But if you don’t give it a good try it’s a
certainty that your yard will be as
attractive is the Sahara Desert.
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| Monarch |
OWEN YOST, in addition to being a blogger, is a
licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived and worked in north Texas
for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award of the
Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the American Society of
Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of Landscape Architects,
National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.
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