Butterflies may be one of the least effective pollinators, but they sure are the prettiest. Within the last two weeks, the gaudiest members of the butterfly family have been active in my little neck of the woods. The swallowtails have been out in force, reminding me of God's generosity - a gift to be treasured. There's an area where I work that is planted with masses of garden phlox and mealy cup sage, and it's simply alive with butterflies, especially swallowtails, and a host of other happy pollinators. This area is known as the healing garden and was created in memory of a little girl who tragically left this earth too soon. Could there be a more fitting symbol of transformation, rebirth and resurrection than a butterfly? What a gentle reminder of God's amazing grace.
 |
| Black form of a female eastern tiger swallowtail |
Obviously swallowtails are my favorite as I continually mention them, but who would disagree? I love trying to photograph them and watching their unique personalities emerge. The eastern tiger swallowtail nectars deliberately, opening it's wings slowly and keeping them wide as it investigates each individual flower. The spicebush and pipevine swallowtails move at a faster pace making it somewhat hard to get a good photo and even harder to tell them apart. My colleague Greg gave me a great clue the other day: spicebush are extra spicy and therefore have two rows of orange spots underneath their lower wings while pipevine swallowtail only have one row of spots. The giant swallowtail greedily gulps nectar, fluttering its wings so rapidly as it flits from one flower to the next it hardly sits still long enough for a decent picture. The zebra swallowtail is so elusive that I'm not sure if it nectars at all as I seem to only find them hovering over flowers almost if they are absorbing nectar rather than sipping it.
 |
| Eastern tiger swallowtail nectaring on garden phlox |
Attracting butterflies is a snap. Plant nectar plants in large groups or sweeps, in plenty of sunshine, to catch the eye of a fluttering butterfly. Nix the pesticides - including organic ones - as butterflies and caterpillars are quite sensitive. Provide puddling areas with dampened sand, and provide shallow dishes of rotten fruit. And by golly, provide host plants for larvae - caterpillars prove to be picky little creatures who host on quite specific plant species. Swallowtail larvae are no different, and each of the different species has it's own particular diet.
 |
| Eastern black swallowtail caterpillar munching on fennel |
Happiness is a butterfly, which when
pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit
down quietly, may alight upon you.
~Nathaniel Hawthorn
 |
| The rapid fluttering of a giant swallotail |
 |
Pipevine swallowtail on Peter's Purple bee balm
|
 |
| The zebra swallowtail seems to say "Catch me if you can!" |
 |
| Zebra swallowtail puddling on sand at an east Texas lake |
No comments:
Post a Comment