gulf coast butterflies
TRANSCRIPT
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
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
frogfruit
Water hyssop
GOLD RIM Battus polydamus lucayus
GOLD RIM Battus polydamus
lucayus
Notice the osmeterium
METALMARKCalephelis virginiensis
METALMARKCalephelis virginiensis
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.