South Texas Butterflies

I found this plant host list for those of you that live in the very special butterfly areas that we only dream of lol and thought you might be interested. Wonder if we planted some if they would come visit us???

http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/plants_info.pdf

Donna,

That is a great list - I've been using it for a couple of years. There is also a butterfly nectaring list on our local NABA chapter website too. It works really well as it was compiled for our south Texas area and lists many native plants and trees.

I keep a reduced sized printout of the larval host one that I carry in my Kaufman guide when I'm out in the field. Always helps to know what to look for on what plants...and another is always in my glove compartment...whenever I go plant shopping I refer to it too.

...and yes, I firmly believe that "if you plant it, they will come" - the guava skipper used to be a rare stray but since many folks on this side of the border have guava trees in their yards we've seen more and more of those lately. As global warming works it way towards us...it's sure to push butterflies that wouldn't normally venture north :o) A few butterflies caught on the wind might easily end up along the Mississippi gulf coast. There was a posting on our list server about a Black Witch moth sighted on an oil rig 25 miles out at sea!!!

"...found this moth on my Oil Production Platform yesterday 11-16-06. I'm at Ship Shoal 129A, its about 45 miles south of Morgan City Louisiana and about 25 miles offshore. I had a chance to take a couple of pictures before the winds blew it off the platform. There was a strong north front that was pushing threw the area, and I guess that's how the moth made it here. Thanks for the info. Joe Granger Apache Corp."

If you have the chance do take a look at our South Texas NABA website...you can see all the gorgeous butterflies we get here as well see how our list of rare stray sightings increases each year.


~ Cat


This message was edited Nov 23, 2006 10:30 AM

I had a beautiful Black Witch Moth after Hurricane Ivan in 2004. It was awesome and got some great pics

Yes Donna...am also sure there are many more butterflies out there that we just haven't seen. For decades it was thought the xylophane pluto sphinx moth was a stray from Mexico yet I've had broods in my yard for the past two years. I planted firebush (hamelia patens) as hedges lining both sides of my driveway four years ago...and never knew it was their larval host. It was only when I saw a pluto moth on my brickwork that I got curious and did some research. Who know how long they'd been using my firebush plants and I just never noticed! There are other reports around this area of plutos breeding here.

Kind of like finding a needle in a haystack ey?! You just have to be in the right place at the right time to see them :o)

~ Cat

Thanks for the list link Donna!

Cat, keep your eyes peeled, I love to see those unusual ones that may get lost and end up here, I have a couple firebush but no cats on it. Since you mentioned that on another thread, I'm always checking.

A couple years ago, a Janais Patch visited my yard and I saw it laying eggs on my Flame Acanthus. I raised some of those butterflies from those eggs. I had had Flame Acanthus in my yard for many years and never had any eggs or cats on it. I had seen the butterfly before, but very rarely. I read later that as Flame Acanthus is a popular landscape plant in Texas, the range of that butterfly could expand.

This message was edited Nov 23, 2006 8:09 PM

Good going Linda!!! Is what you call Janais Patch the same as what we call Crimson Patch (chlosyne janais)? Those are really gorgeous butterflies. I only saw one last year but earlier this month I was at the NABA Park and the Bentsen WBC in Mission and saw a dozen or so. Seems everywhere I looked there was one. They really are big compared to the other patches. Do hope you keep getting them.

~ Cat

What a beautiful Crimson Patch!

Cat, that's the one! I didn't see any this year, but can always hope to see one or two next year. It lays groups of eggs on the underside of the Flame Acanthus leaves. The cats start out so small you can barely see anything is there. Toward the last instar, they turn into some of the loveliest cats I've ever seen! What a lucky break I had that year!

oh how beautiful

Now that I see the caterpillar on the flame acanthus I will have to make it a point to check the plants at the NABA Park. They have gobs of it there too...and it was only a couple of weeks ago that I saw at least a dozen or so Crimson Patches nectaring on the eupatorium there. Maybe some came back to lay eggs?!

~ Cat

Great list Donna! I am close enough for many of these on the list..really helpful reference, Thanks!

Nice pictures Linda & Cat!

Love that camera of yours, Deb! Great close-up shot! Love the clarity! Nice!!!!