gulf coast butterflies

GULF COAST GULF COAST

BUTTERFLIES BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies add color, drama, and movement to the natural areas where you live and to your garden

-LEPIDOPTERA- Butterflies have been around for about 50 million years

(about the same length as mammals)

WHAT AM I SEEING?

BUTTERFLY SKIPPER MOTH

BUTTERFLIES-approximately 97 species in Florida

ANTENNA

COMPOUND EYES

PROBOSCIS

LegsButterflies have 6 legs (3

pairs).

"Brush-footed" butterflies (mourning cloak, painted lady, monarch) look like they have only 4 legs. The two front legs are small and covered with small hairs. They hold these legs up by their head.

Pipevine Swallowtail

WINGS

Spicebush Swallowtail

Zebra

SCALES

MANGROVE SKIPPER

LONG-TAILED SKIPPER

HUMMINGBIRD MOTH

BUTTERFLY SKIPPER MOTH Cloudless Sulphur Brazilian Luna

EGGS

CATERPILLARS – Larval Stage

CHYRSALIS

-strange looking when first out with drooping

wings that need blood flow

pumped through veins

FAMILIES-There are several families then sub-species of those, but for

today’s program we won’t get that involved-this is a way to define them by wing shape, size, color and

behaviors.SWALLOWTAILS- large & beautiful, long sweeping tails, like the

bird it is named after.(except the Gold Rim) There are 100’s of species, they also have osmeteria gland (little antennae) which emits a strong odor or spray.

SULPHURS- named for bright color reminiscent of the element, yellow to orange & green to white

GOSSAMER- means light, delicate, sheer butterflies, most have clear shimmery color on their upper wings

BRUSH-FOOTED-a wide variety, the main likeness is-front legs, which are located close to the head are atrophied and called “minute legs”. The minute legs are sensitive to chemicals in certain plants, this helps the female identify host plants.

SKIPPERS-moth like in appearance, smallest of the butterflies, mostly gold w/dark markings or dark overall, some of the most common visitors to the butterfly garden they dart or “skip” around the garden

SATYRS-small to medium, various shades of brown, usually in the woodland setting rarely visit flower gardens

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

SennaSpecies

Passion Vine

Dutchmen’sPipevine Scarlet

Milkweed

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

Sweet Gum Corkey-stemmed

GULF FRITILLARYAgraulis vanillae nigrior

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

GULF FRITILLARYAgraulis vanillae nigrior

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

Fritillaries drink nectar from zinnias

Yellow lantana is a favorite of butterflies. Six Gulf Fritillaries are in this photograph drinking nectar from lantana.

PAINTED LADY Vanessa virginiensis

PAINTED LADY Vanessa virginiensis

CLOUDLESS SULPHUR

Phoebis sennae enbule

CLOUDLESS SULPHUR Phoebis sennae enbule

ZEBRA LONGWING Heliconius charitonius

ZEBRA LONGWING (Heliconius charitonius)

WHITE PEACOCK

Anartia jatrophe

WHITE PEACOCK Anartia jatrophe

frogfruit

Water hyssop

GOLD RIM Battus polydamus lucayus

GOLD RIM Battus polydamus

lucayus

Notice the osmeterium

METALMARKCalephelis virginiensis

METALMARKCalephelis virginiensis

JULIADryas iulia largo

JULIADryas iulia largo

COMMON BUCKEYEJunonia coenia

COMMON BUCKEYEJunonia coenia

Frogfruit Water Hyssop

SLEEPY ORANGEEurema nicippe

Being eaten by a Green Spider

SLEEPY ORANGEEurema nicippe

Coffee Senna

PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL

Battus philenor

PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAILBattus philenor

ATALAEumaeus atalabest efforts are being made to bring these to west coast

ATALAEumaeus atala

Eummaeus atala florida, best efforts are being made to bring these to west coast

TOP SW FLORIDA NECTAR PLANTS-Butterflies tend to prefers plants with clusters of flowers and prefer a variety of flowers.-Butterflies prefer flowers in this order red,yellow, lavendar-Not all butterflies feed on nectar, some like rotting fruit, tree sap and even dungPlumbago Firebush Gaillardia

Passion Vine

Lantana

Mexican Sunflower

Cassia

Scarlet Milkweed

Scarlet Sage Spanish Needles

BOOKS TO READ

Butterfly Gardening Made Easy, Mike MalloyFlorida Butterfly Caterpillars, Marc C. Minno Florida Butterflies, Eugene J. GerbergFlorida Butterfly Gardening, Marc & Maria MinnoButterflies Through Binoculars: Florida, Jeffrey GlassbergButterflies of the Florida Keys, Marc C Minno Butterflies of Florida, Jaret C. DanielsThe Butterflies of the West Indies and South Florida, David Spencer SmithButterfly Gardening, The Xerces Society

PLACES TO GO LOCALLYCollier County MuseumConservancy of SW FloridaNaples Botanical GardensSugden ParkRookery BayNaples Zoo and Caribbean GardensBriggs Nature CenterButterfly World (Coconut Creek) 1st in US!Museum of Science And Industry (Tampa)

BEGINNERS “LIFE LIST” OF SPECIES

(Butterflies are so easy to identify while they are resting because they move their wings up and down slowly for your inspection.)

Butterflies are the epitome of freedom in nature.

Thomas C. Emmel University of Florida,

Gainesville

I would like to thank Mike Malloy for his time and knowledge.