Wild Florida - Butterflies

The Monarch is a milkweed butterfly. Monarch butterflies are poisonous or distasteful to birds because of milkweed poison stored by the caterpillar stage; their bright colors are warning colors. The Monarch ranges from southern Canada to northern South America. Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. In North America they make massive southward migrations starting in August until the first frost. A northward migration takes place in the spring. The monarch is the only butterfly that migrates both north and south as the birds do on a regular basis. But no single individual makes the entire round trip. Female monarchs deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations. By the end of October, the population east of the Rocky Mountains migrates to the sanctuaries of the Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve in the Mexican states of Michoacán and México. The western population overwinters in various sites in central coastal and southern California, United States, notably in Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz. The length of these journeys exceeds the normal lifespan of most monarchs, which is less than two months for butterflies born in early summer. The last generation of the summer enters into a non-reproductive phase known as diapause and may live seven months or more.[7] During diapause, butterflies fly to one of many overwintering sites. The generation that overwinters generally does not reproduce until it leaves the overwintering site sometime in February and March. It is thought that the overwinter population of those east of the Rockies may reach as far north as Texas and Oklahoma during the spring migration. It is the second, third and fourth generations that return to their northern locations in the United States and Canada in the spring.

The Viceroy butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hind wing.

Wing span: 2 5/8 - 3 7/8 inches. This is one of the Milkweed Butterfly's. It's caterpillar feeds on milkweed plants. The adult feeds on the nectar of milkweed, fogfruit and shepher's needle flowers. Some of the milkweeds contain poisons called cardiac glycosides which are stored in the bodies of the caterpillar and adult. These poisons are distasteful to birds and other predators. Unlike the Monarch this butterfly doesn't migrate. It stays in the south and is very common in the Florida Everglades

Wing span: 2 - 2 3/4 inches. Caterpillar's eat Water hyssop, Ruellia, and Lippia. Adult's feed on Shepherd's needle in Florida. You can find these butterflies in open, moist areas such as edges of ponds and streams, along shallow ditches, weedy fields, parks. They can be found from Argentina north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to South Texas and southern Florida. Migrates and temporarily colonizes to central Texas and coastal South Carolina. A rare wanderer to North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas

Wing span: 2 1/2 - 3 3/4 inches. This butterfly lives throughout the year in south Florida and South Texas. In January-November it can be found in the north. Caterpillar's eat various species of passion-vine. Adults eat the nectar from lantana, shepherd's needle, and cordias. It lives in pastures, open fields, second-growth subtropical forest and edges, city gardens. It's range is South America north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to the southern United States. Wanders north to the central United States but is rarely found northward.

This butterfly was adopted as Florida's state butterfly in 1996. It is common all year round in southern Florida, particularly in the Everglades. They fly slowly and don't startle easily. If you find one resting in the evening you can get it to climb onto your finger and return to the branch without frightening it. Zebras rest in groups at night and return to the same place every night. They eat nectar and pollen and can live nearly six months. The eggs are laid in Passion vines and the caterpillars eat this plant. This makes the adults poisonous. The caterpillar is white with black spots, black spines and a greenish head.

This butterfly is between 2 1/5 inches and 3 inches. It is orange or rust colored with black stripes. It eats figs, cashews, other fruits and milkweed. It is found in hardwood hammocks and thickets. It's range is from east Texas through Florida and south through much of Latin America.

With a wingspan of 5 to 6 inches, the Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is the largest North American moth. They will cover trees with coccons and can sometimes kill the tree. They are common across most of North America but are active at night so are not often seen.

The adult Cecropia lives about 2 weeks because the adult can't eat.

The flight motion of the skipper is usually quick, skipping from flower to flower. They have not always been a citizen here in the United States, however they will be as long as we continue grow Canna in our southern gardens. These fabulous tropical plants are native to the northern regions of South America, the Indies, and Mexico where they and many of our tropical plants also originated. The Canna is one of this skipper's main larval food (caterpillar host) plants. Canna also happen to be one of the most spectacular plants in a Southern garden. A few of the other names these butterflies are known by, include: Canna Skipper, Arrowroot Butterfly, and Large Leaf Roller.

The skippers establish themselves wherever their hosts are grown, and where habitat and weather can sustain them. Reports of them are noted in many US States farther north, however these are likely strays visiting in summertime. (see map) In the U.S. skippers are more prevalent in Southern zones. By wintertime in the Midwest and deep South, skippers will likely die off.

According to agricultural history, Cannas were imported to the U.S. & Europe by early explorers dating back to the 1500's. The skippers were most likely hidden inside plants as an egg or larvae in cargos of Spanish ships without human knowledge. By land, the Canna hosts moved northward to the U.S., yard to yard via transplanted by neighbors like us sharing the plant. Subsequent migrations of adult Brazilian Skippers were merely following the plantings of the food plants necessary for their offspring.

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