Month: September 2024

Butterflies

I recently visited The Butterfly Place in Westford, Massachusetts.  It was quite nice to walk through and learn about the various species and habits of these beautiful and lively insects.

Clockwise from upper left, all pictures by Don Arnold: Brown Clipper butterfly, Parthenos sylvia; Giant swallowtail butterfly, Papilio thoas; Julia butterfly, Dryas julia; Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus; Malachite butterfly, Siproeta stelenes

Butterflies come in a variety of colors and patterns providing camouflage to hide from potential predators, identifying an individual to potential mates, and/or allowing an insect to absorb heat needed for daily activities.  The colors we see can come from colored pigments that reflect light of a specific color or from structural pigments that take on different colors depending on the angle and intensity of reflected light.  Structural pigments produce blues, whites, and colors with a metallic sheen.  Genes control which pigments appear in each part of their wings to create the multitude of patterns.  Variations in just a few genes may determine that a pattern in one species is slightly different in size, shape, or color in another species, or completely different in a third species.

Blue morpho, Morpho peleides, with brown & white pattern vs same colors and slightly different pattern on Owl butterfly, Caligo eurilochus

Butterflies eat by sipping sweet nectar from a variety of flowers.  Their tongue, called a proboscis, forms a hollow straw that restricts them to a liquid diet.  When not eating, you can observe the proboscis curled up in front of their mouth.  When uncurled, it forms a long tube, able to reach deep into a flower to the base where nectar is stored.  Watch the video below as this monarch inserts its proboscis into the base of the lantana as it feeds.  Many butterflies enjoy juice from fruit, especially as it starts to decompose to a softer, more liquid-like stage.

Rice paper butterfly, Idea leuconoe, probing for nectar

Puddling is another feeding activity where butterflies take in liquid from puddles, wet gravel, sweat, and scat.  These are all sources for minerals and salts needed for egg development.  Females may find their own puddling sources, but males also engage in this activity, passing along a complex package of sperm, minerals, salt, and other nutrients to females during mating.

Clockwise from upper left, all pictures by Don Arnold: Piano key butterfly, Heliconius melpomene; Rice paper butterfly, Idea leuconoe; Sara butterfly, Heliconius sara; Scarlet swallowtail butterfly, Papilio rumanzovia; Zebra longwing butterfly, Heliconius Charitonia

Butterfly houses are interesting and fun places to observe many of these species and their behaviors up close.  We can provide for our native butterflies by learning which plants host caterpillars and which plants provide nectar for adults.  Select these plants for your garden, or place potted plants on an outside porch during warmer months.  You can provide additional habitat for butterflies and other small insects by mowing less frequently, limiting the use of pesticides in your yard, and leaving small brush piles in your garden.

Autumn Foods

Meteorological fall began September 1st, marking the beginning of cooling temperatures that lead into winter, the coldest time of the year in the northern hemisphere.  As the days begin to cool, many plant species are producing ripe fruits and seeds and starting the process of going dormant until next spring’s warming temperatures and longer days signal a beginning of the next growing cycle.  Some animals, especially birds, travel long distances, migrating to areas that stay warm throughout the year.  Those who stay through the coldest months depend on having food sources available even while plants are dormant.

Grey-headed coneflower seed head by Laura Fischer Photography

The best winter food sources for wildlife are native plants with berries and seeds available throughout the colder months.  Birds including woodpeckers, robins, waxwings, bluebirds, thrushes, chickadees, quail, and thrashers rely on robust insect populations in summer.  In winter, when insects are no longer available, having another food source such as seed heads and berries left standing in your garden fulfills this need while adding visual interest and wildlife watching opportunities for you.

Food items shown above: Acorns on forest floor by Liz West, Oct 2006; Shellbark hickory nuts by HeikeRau, Getty Images; Pine cones with seeds by GordonImages, Getty Images

Several tree families including pine, hickory, oak, and cherry offer fruit and nuts lasting through the winter.  Along with grass and wildflower stems, trunks and branches also provide habitat for insect eggs and larva that will emerge in the spring.  Over winter, insects in these stages are available as food for foraging species that use beaks and claws to dig them out.  Stems growing close together provide additional benefits as thickets that provide protection against cold winds and harsh weather and hiding places that are safe from other predators.

Berries & Seeds above: Aster seeds by David Hansche, Getty Images; Sunflower at sunset by Hazal Ak, Getty Images; Wild elderberries by StargateChris, Getty Images; Thistle seeds by JTCanada, Getty Images

Sunflowers, elderberries, and serviceberries are important food sources for fall migrators and winter inhabitants, providing fat and energy to stay warm and active.  Aster, thistle, and conifer seeds released throughout the colder months are a favorite food source for finches and other small perching birds.  Oak acorns, beechnuts, and hickory nuts are eaten by many woodland animals including squirrel, chipmunk, deer, wild turkey, fox, and quail.

Wildlife enjoying an offering: Blue tit on suet by Hedera.Baltica, Dec 2022; Lunch by Audrey, Feb 2008; Pine siskins on thistle by Yooperann, May 2015; Purple finches by Stan Lupo, Oct 2016

Some of these animals also forage through our backyards in winter as many berry producing plants in the wild are stripped bare during late autumn and early winter.  Backyard plantings and feeders provide important supplementary food sources for these animals.  A variety of species to consider planting include American persimmon, blackberry, blueberry, elderberry, raspberry, cranberry, paw-paw , and prickly pear cactus, holly, sumac, hackberry, viburnum, hawthorn, bayberry, red cedar, and juniper.  You can learn more under Garden For Wildlife on the National Wildlife Federation website at https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Food.

Nature journaling is a great way to track your observations and learn more through later research

Opportunities to observe wildlife in your own backyard can be an exciting way to learn.  Try tracking which plants are being eaten and at what times during the changing seasons.  Record the weather conditions during those periods to learn what foods are relied upon during colder, harsher winter weather.  Try a variety of suet, seed and nut varieties in feeders to attract a range of animals to your backyard for fun wildlife watching and education.