INSECT/BUTTERFLY “GARDENING”-FORT COLLINS, COLORADO

INSECT/BUTTERFLY “GARDENING”-FORT COLLINS,COLORADO

lAttracting Butterflies to the Gardenby P. A. Opler and W. S. CranshawQuick Facts.*Many kinds of butterflies can be found in Colorado. Encouragebutterflies by planning a butterfly garden.*Butterflies seek out areas with food plants for the caterpillar stage.*Adult butterflies also feed on fluids such as nectar from flowers.*Butterfly visits increase when environmental needs are met.*Gardening practices to attract and retain butterflies often differ fromregular gardening practices.

Garden plantings can affectoccurrence Butterflies Hummingbirdmoths Miller moths Honey bees Bumble bees LeafcutterbeesLady beetlesFlower fliesTachinid fliesLacewingsParasitoidwasps Nuisancespecies/pests

SUCCESS for ATTRACTINGINSECTS Food for their immatures Food for the adults Shelter

Common ConflictsOften the most attractive nectar plants are considered "weeds" in othersettings. Examples: thistles and dandelion, all highly attractive to severalcommon butterflies. Well-manicured and tended gardens usually discourageinsect/butterfly species that develop on wild types of plants.A few butterflies also develop on certain garden crops and may be pests if thevegetable is considered more desirable than the insects. The Europeancabbage butterfly (on broccoli, cabbage and other mustards) and the blackswallowtail (on parsley and dill) are common garden species.Use of most insecticides are not compatible with attracting and increasingthe number of butterflies in a yard, killing the caterpillar stages. Adult butterfliesalso can be killed by resting on insecticide-treated surfaces.

Principles of Butterfly Gardening Provide for food resources for adultsnectar or fruit sources Provide for food plants for caterpillars Provide some shelter if sites areexposed Avoid use of harmful insecticides

Diverse plantings are mostoften visited by butterflies,throughout season

Some annual plants commonly preferredby butterflies Zinnia Larkspur Cosmos Verbena Sunflowers Asters Sweet pea

Some Perennial Plants Commonly Used byButterflies Butterfly BushMilkweedSedumsLilac RabbitbrushPotentillaThistlesMonarda

Other nectar-bearing plants commonly visited bybutterflies.Asters (Aster spp.)Marigold (TagetesBee balm (Monarda)spp.)Butterfly bushOrnamental thistles(Buddleia davidii)RabbitbrushButterfly plant(Chrysothamnus(Asclepias tuberosa)nauseosus)Bush cinquefoliaSunflower(Potentilla fruticosa) (Helianthus spp.)Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) Sweet pea (LathyrusGaillardia (Gaillardiaodoratus)spp.)Verbena (VerbenaLilac (Syringa vulgaris)spp.)Zinnias (Zinnia spp.)

Mass plantings of butterfly food plants, rather than “scatteredplantings”Consider sequence of desirable flowering plants throughout seasonTypical peak should be in mid to late summer-choose appropriateflowering plantsProvide food plants used by caterpillars-joy of observing life cycle!Mourning cloakWillow, aspen, elm,hackberry

Twotailed swallowtail, ash, chockecherry, hoptree

Foods Used by ADULTButterflies, especially males ofNymphalidae:Nectar, fruit juices,oozing sap .

Brushfooted butterflies (Nymphalidae) will visit a varietyof foods, in addition to nectar-bearing flowers .Butterfly FeederButterfly and honey bee visitingdroppings

‘Mud puddling’ by tiger swallowtail

Foods Used byCaterpillars:Leaves of their hostplant

Painted ladyWestern tiger swallowtailAlfalfa buttefly/orange sulfurClouded sulfurCheckered whiteImported cabbageworm/butterflyMonarchMourning cloakMelissa blueVariegated fritillarythistles, hollyhock, mallow, legumesaspen, willows, wild cherry, ashalfalfa, sweetcloveralfalfa, cloverBrassicaceae, Cleomemustards: broccoli, cabbage, etc.milkweeds (Asclepias)willow, aspen, elm, hackberrywild licorice, alfalfapansy, many other plants

TwotailedSwallowtailEggs are laid onash, chokecherry,hoptree

Mourning CloakLarval host plants arewillow, aspen,hackberry and elm

Painted LadyLarval host plants arethistles, hollyhock,mallow, occasionallylegumes and some otherplants

Hummingbird Moths

HornwormsCaterpillars of thefamily Sphingidae

Tomato hornworm andtobacco hornworm arenotorious garden pests

The moth of the hornwormis known as a sphinx mothor hawk moth, Five-spottedhawk moth

Conflict?You like this .but not this.

Whitelined sphinxHyles lineataThe most commonhummingbird moth ofthe western US

Plant most visitedby hummingbirdmoths typicallyhave deep sourcesof nectar that areaccessed by theirlong mouthparts

Some plants most oftenvisited by hummingbirdmoths include:Four o‟clocksEvening primroseLarkspurHoneysuckle

ArmyCutwormEuxoa auxiliarisPhoto courtesy Joseph Berger

Army cutworm larva

Army cutworm feeding in a winter wheat field. Primaryfeeding occurs on broadleaf weeds.

Army cutworm pupaPupae are presentfrom Marchthrough late May

Adult form of the army cutworm – the Colorado‟Miller Moth‟

The Annual MigrationMove from the Plains to themountains in May-JuneReturn to the Plains in Septemberand early October

Plants Commonly Used as MillerMoth Nectar Sources Lilac, Chokecherry and otherPrunus Spirea Cotoneaster Russian olive

Plants Commonly Used as MillerDaytime Shelter Areas Densely growing pines Spruce Dense evergreen deciduousshrubs (e.g., cotoneaster)

USE OF FLOWERING PLANTS BY BENEFICIAL INSECTS

Someinsectnaturalenemies

Principles of Gardening for BeneficialInsects Learn to recognize them – and don’t killthem Provide for food needs of adults Provide for food needs of immaturestages Provide nest sites, if required

Lady beetles(“Lady bugs”, “Ladybirds” .)

Lady beetlelarvae

Full-grown larvae settleand attach, shed theirskin, and transform tothe pupal stage

Lady beetle adults maintainthemselves on nectar and pollen

Flower (Syrphidae) Flies

Syrphid egg in aphid colony

Flower flylarvae

Syrphid flies are remarkablemimics of bees and waspsHoney Bees

Adult flower flies sustain themselves on nectar and pollen

Adult greenlacewings maintainthemselves onnectar and pollen

Green lacewingeggs laid ingroups on silkstalks.

Parasitoid wasps

Aphid mummies– aphids killed by aparasitic wasp

TachinidFlies

Tachinid fly eggs oncaterpillar (above) and stinkbug (right)

Small, accessibleflowers are mostcommonly used bynatural enemies ofgarden pest insects

Some plants useful forproviding food for adult stagesof insect predators andparasites Most Apiaceae - (dill, fennel,mooncarrot, etc.) Yarrow Many sedums Spurges Alyssum Basket-of-gold Thyme, several herbs

Provide food for larvae of natural enemies

European PaperWasp

Paper wasps feed their young “bug burger”. Mostly chewedcaterpillars!

Paper wasp gnawing on weathered board for wood fibers

Western Yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica)– Key nuisance wasp of Colorado!

Table 1. Plants observed to be most heavily visited by honey bees. (Favorability Ranking )CultivarPlant FamilyAllium tangitucumAgastache foeniculumAster novae-angliaeBerkheya purpureaBerlandiera lyrataCalamintha nepeta ssp. glandulosaCaryopteris „Blue Mist Spirea‟Chamaebatiaria millefoliumChrysanthemum serotinum „Herbstern‟CleomeCotoneasterEchinops exaltaEremurus stenophyllusEricameria nauseosaEriogonum jamesiiEryngium giganteum “Miss Willmott‟s Ghost”Euphorbia “Diamond Frost”Gaillardia aristataGeranium „Jolly Bee‟Geranium eGeraniaceaeGeraniaceaeBoraginaceae

Inula royleanaKniphofia typhoidesMalva alceaNepeta catariaNepeta x fauseniiOcimumPenstemon eatoniiRhus typhinaSalvia nemorosaSedum spectabileSenecioSilphium laciniatumSolidagoSpirea x bumaldaTeucrium chamaedrysTeucrium orientaleThymus kotschyanusTilia americanumVeronica spicata „Sunny Border iaceaeVeronica longifolia “Lavender Charm”Scrophulariaceae

Special thanks to Dr. Whitney Cranshaw for makingInformation available.

Many kinds of butterflies can be found in Colorado. Encourage butterflies by planning a butterfly garden. * Butterflies seek out areas with food plants for the caterpillar stage. * Adult butterflies also feed on fluids such as nectar from flowers.