![]() What this means essentially is – provide flowers for the adults and leaves for the caterpillars. The required food for both life stages should be planted or cultivated in order to develop a successful and abundant butterfly garden. An adult butterfly is equipped with a proboscis, or tubular tongue, that it uses for drawing nectar, whereas, immature butterflies, known as larvae or caterpillars, have chewing mouth parts and feed on plant parts. It's the host plant for the distinctive black-and-white zebra swallowtail.Īll the swallowtails will seek out nectar plants, including the always popular lantana, pentas, zinnias and porterweed.Butterflies require two entirely different types of plant s in o rder t o com p lete their life cycle. Other host plants for the spicebush swallowtail include camphor, sassafras and red bay, which have been dying out in our area.Īnd you might find you have a zebra in the back yard if you have a pawpaw tree. They hide in the foliage during the day and come out to feed in the evening. These are the caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail. In the summer, you might find strange creatures on its leaves that resemble tiny snakes. In the fall its aromatic leaves turn yellow and its red berries are a favorite of birds. Spicebush (lindera benzoin), on the other hand, can grow into a small tree unless pruned. Not a plant for under the bedroom window. Its flower, speckled brown and purple, resembles a pipe and smells like rotting meat, a scent that attracts insects. The vine, which prefers shade, can be aggressive. All decked out in their Jaguars colors of black and teal, the butterflies are breathtaking the first time you see them and, quite frankly, the only reason to own a Dutchman's pipevine. They're not typical suburban butterflies, preferring woodland and open areas, but if you have their host plants they will come.ĭutchman's pipevine is host plant for the pipevine swallowtail. The males are more colorful than the females. ![]() They look very similar - black butterflies with bluish-green hindwings and red speckles on their outer wings. The spicebush swallowtail and pipevine swallowtail - named for their host plants - are less common but definitely worth the effort. The chrysalis is brown and is often mistaken for a part of a branch. When they are threatened, small glands emerge with a repellent chemical. Giant swallowtail caterpillars are masters of disguise - they look like bird poop. It's another plant you might have to hunt for in nurseries, but it is easily grown from seed. The state is cracking down on the transportation of citrus plants because of the citrus greening crisis.)Īnother possible host plant is the herb rue or ruta graveolens. If you have citrus trees, you might be visited by the giant swallowtail - an eye-catching black and yellow beauty that lays its eggs among the thorny branches of most citrus trees but is especially fond of wild lime, a tree more commonly found in South Florida. The Eastern black is the easiest to attract because its host plants are parsley, dill, fennel and members of the carrot family. Swallowtails are the largest butterfly in this region, about 4 inches wide. The Eastern black swallowtail is one of several swallowtails you might encounter in Northeast Florida. If they're eating parsley, dill or fennel, they'll likely turn into Eastern black swallowtail butterflies and fly away. ![]() I f you discover caterpillars chowing down in your herb garden, resist the urge to squish them.
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