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BUTTERFLIES

Butterflies are insects in the order Lepidoptera along with moths. There are over 700 species of butterflies in the United States and about 150 species can be found in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. They grow in the metamorphosis life cycle made up of four stages: egg, larva (caterpillar for butterflies), pupa (chrysalis for butterflies) and adult. When an adult lays an egg, a larva will emerge and eat leaves to prepare for the chrysalis stage. Out of the chrysalis will emerge an adult that eats nectar. Some butterflies are dependent on specific plants to lay their eggs and feed as caterpillars. Those plants are known as host plants and the most famous butterfly and host plant relationship is the monarch butterfly and milkweed plant. Though an adult monarch butterfly relies on the nectar of a variety of native plants, the female will only lay eggs on native milkweed species and the caterpillars will only eat these leaves. In the winter, various butterflies can be found in your garden in their larva or pupa stage.

MORE RESOURCES:

• Fact Sheet: Lovely Lepidoptera Pollinating Butterflies and Moths  | EPRI & Pollinator Partnership

• Keep Monarchs Wild: Why Captive Rearing Isn’t The Way To Help Monarchs | Xerces Society

• Monarch Migration Maps  |  Monarch Joint Venture

• At Risk Butterflies & Moths  | Xerces Society