Butterflies

Create healthy butterfly habitat in your backyard, at your school or business or even on your porch or balcony by planting native flowering plants. Don’t use pesticides on your plants!

The monarch is widely distributed across North America, from Central America northwards to southern Canada, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts.
The Karner blue butterfly was found in a continuous band throughout its range but today is found in portions of New Hampshire, New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, and Minnesota.
The Quino checkerspot butterfly is found in a few counties in southern California and northern Mexico.
No populations of St. Francis’ satyr have been discovered outside of Department of Defense lands at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.
The Oregon silverspot once thrived in coastal habitat in Oregon, Northern California and Washington, but today it is found at only four locations in Oregon.

Population numbers are generally unknown, but due to shrinking habitat and other threats, populations are threatened and declining.

Some species migrate to avoid adverse conditions. Most migrate relatively short distances, but monarchs migrate over 3000 miles. Monarchs can produce four generations in one summer. The first three generations will have life spans from two to six weeks and will continue moving north. During this time, they will mate and have the next generation that will continue the northward migration. The fourth generation is different and can live up to nine months. These are the butterflies that will migrate south for winter to either Mexico or southern California. Camouflage and chemical defense, where the butterfly has evolved to have toxic chemicals in its body, help defend butterflies from predators. While camouflaged species often look like bark or leaves, toxic butterflies are often brightly colored, and predators associate their bright color with the chemicals.
 

From egg to adult, butterflies undergo a series of physical transformations known as metamorphosis. After mating, the female butterfly lays her eggs on a caterpillar food or “host” plant. The eggs can hatch within a few days, or within months or even years, depending on whether conditions are right. Caterpillars shed their skin several times as they grow, and then form a chrysalis or pupa. Days, months or even years later, depending on the species, a fully developed winged adult emerges from the chrysalis and the cycle begins anew.

Butterflies rely on the nectar from flowering plants. Caterpillars of each species have their own preferences: monarch eat milkweed, Karner blue eat wild blue lupine, Quino checkerspot eat dwarf plantain, St. Francis’ satyr eat sedges and Oregon silverspot eat early blue violet.