Embracing the Shade: Summer and Fall

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

Is it possible to have a perennial shade garden with continuous bloom throughout the summer and fall? By June, the trees are fully leafed out, sheltering our home from the summer sun’s strong rays. That means that the garden is in the shade, too. Will anything be blooming? You bet.

Spicebush Swallowtails nectaring on Bottlebrush Buckeye

Some spring bloomers, like Heartleaf Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) and Virginia Goldenstar (Chrysogonum virginianum), also called Green and Gold, may continue their display into the summer months. While not yet blooming, the leaves of White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata) join the violets, ferns, and Spreading Sedge (Carex laxiculmis) to form a ground cover blanketing much of the garden. Arching four to five feet above them are long sprays of Goat’s-beard (Aruncus dioicus) a.k.a. Bride’s Feathers’ tiny white flowers, lighting up the deep shade. June brings Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) and Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) blossoms, too.

Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is part of the shrub layer in the woods behind our house. In July, this reliable bloomer with its large palmately compound leaves and tall spikes of white tubular flowers attracts Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in addition to Spicebush and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails.

Dark form Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Bottlebrush Buckeye

Last summer we were surprised to see dark morph Tiger Swallowtails nectaring on the Bottlebrush Buckeye. By adopting this Pipevine Swallowtail-like coloration disguise, the Tiger Swallowtails gain some protection from being eaten by birds and other predators who have learned of the Pipevine Swallowtail’s toxicity. The dark morph occurs most frequently in areas where Pipevine Swallowtails are present. Maybe Dutchman’s Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla) and its namesake swallowtail are increasing in our area!

Courting Zabulon Skippers on Purple Giant Hyssop

July is also the beginning of Purple Giant Hyssop’s (Agastache scrophulariifolia) long bloom, lasting well into September. We have it in both deep shade and a spot that gets a few hours of afternoon sun, blooming dependably in both locations. This herbaceous plant is a great choice for a woodland garden, with a growth form that is similar to Butterfly Bush. In our garden, butterflies from the smallest skippers to the largest swallowtails love Purple Giant Hyssop. Bees love it, too, and even hummingbirds may drink from the nectar-packed purple flowers.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Purple Giant Hyssop

Pollinators can’t resist Mountain Mints.

Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum species) on Short-toothed Mountain Mint

I decided to try Short-toothed Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), also called Clustered Mountain Mint, the only one of the Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum) species I thought could tolerate some shade. I put it in the one location that gets about four hours of afternoon sun, and I got lucky. While not as robust as it would be in a sunnier spot, it’s doing well, its tiny magenta and white blossoms enticing the smaller butterflies like azures and skippers throughout July and August.

Summer Azure nectaring on Short-toothed Mountain Mint

As summer progresses, False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) radiates bright yellow sunbursts at the wood’s edge from July well into September.

Sweat Bee (Agapostemom species) on False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Bumble Bees are frequent diners at Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), open for business during August and September. Even Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will stop here for a drink.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Great Blue Lobelia

Also in August, after gathering energy from the sun from the earliest spring days when its leaves begin to emerge, White Wood Aster blinks on its light show of white blossoms, illuminating the dense shade through October. The delicate blue disk flowers of Carolina Elephantsfoot (Elephantopus carolinianus) provide a complementary offset in August and September.

White Wood Aster

Butterfly traffic slows by September, but Black Swallowtails may still lay eggs this late, sometimes on my cooking herbs (parsley and dill).

Black Swallowtail caterpillar eating parsley

Last fall we hosted a chrysalis on a hot pepper plant.

Black Swallowtail chrysalis on pepper plant

More aster family members begin their fall performance now, including Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium),

Blue Wood Aster with Bumble Bee

Wreath Goldenrod (Solidago caesia),

Wreath Goldenrod

and Zigzag Goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), in bloom and offering nectar through October or early November. Like White Wood Aster, all of the foliage of these species emerged in early spring from the winter’s leaf cover.

All of these summer and fall blooming species have a reproductive strategy that includes clusters or spikes of flowers that bloom gradually over a period of many weeks, increasing each plant’s chances of pollination by bees, butterflies, and others, and resulting in a long colorful garden display.When successfully pollinated, Purple Giant Hyssop, Carolina Elephantsfoot and Woodland Sunflower offer Chickadees, Goldfinches and other birds a fall bounty of food.

Goldfinch eating Elephant’s Foot seeds

Resident and migrant birds dine on the bright red fruit of Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) and the dark blue fruit of Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) and Blackhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium). This is after a busy season of acting as caterpillar food plants – Spicebush and Sassafras for Spicebush Swallowtails, Flowering Dogwood and Blackhaw for Spring Azures.

Flowering Dogwood fruit

In October and November, Witch-hazel’s (Hamamelis virginiana) spidery yellow blossoms complement the fall foliage.

Witch-hazel flowers and fruits

The bright red fruits of Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata) may last until late winter, when hungry birds finally eat them.

Winterberry Holly berries

Little maintenance is required in this woodland garden. Because the plants have filled in to form a ground cover in most places, there is little weeding to do. We primarily use naturally fallen leaves as mulch, although we may supplement with a bit of prepared leaf compost around the front edges, in deference to our homeowners’ association’s sensibilities.

When we were trying to grow lawn in the shade, it was sparse, and we had problems with standing water after a heavy rainfall. Not anymore. The trees, shrubs and other plants in the garden, as well as the leaf litter, help the soil to absorb rainfall. The shade keeps the soil from drying out too quickly. So once these plants are established, watering is only required when drought conditions become extreme.

Not a bad performance for a woodland garden. And it brings so much pleasure!

Notes:

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. To see parts 1 & 2, see A Butterfly Garden That Embraces the Shade and A Butterfly Garden That Embraces the Shade – Spring.

This post was adapted from an article that was originally published in the Summer 2013 issue of Butterfly Gardener, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association.

Cloudless Sulphurs Are on the Move

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

Very common in the southern United States and Mexico, Cloudless Sulphur butterflies (Phoebis sennae) are much more rare in the northern states and Canada, at least until late in the summer when some individuals pursue their annual dispersal … north? For the past few weeks I’ve been seeing them at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, near New Hope, in the central part of eastern Pennsylvania.

Cloudless Sulphur on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Look for them flying rapidly while cruising for mates, hunting for caterpillar food plants and laying eggs, or nectaring. The butterflies I’ve seen have been so busy with the first two activities that I haven’t seen much nectaring.

Cloudless Sulphur laying egg, or ovipositing, on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Cloudless Sulphur egg on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Cloudless Sulphurs specialize on pea family members, primarily Sennas and closely related plants like Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and Wild Sensitive-plant (C. nictitans) as food plants for their caterpillars. At Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve the Cloudless Sulphurs seem to prefer Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa, S. marilandica). Partridge Pea is also available here, although not as plentiful, but I haven’t yet seen them use it as a caterpillar food plant.

Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

The caterpillars’ coloration blends perfectly with their food plants, varying from yellow to green. At this location, their overall green background is an exact match for the color of the Wild Senna leaves on which they’re feeding. The yellow stripe along the length of the caterpillar’s body resembles the leaf mid-rib, where they can be seen resting or feeding. This camouflage makes it much harder for a hungry bird to spot them!

Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

The caterpillars may eat the entire compound leaf, including mid-rib

Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar eating leaf midrib of Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

and leaflets.

Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar eating leaflet of Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

At Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve they are sharing a habitat with Sleepy Orange butterflies, who are usually resident here from July through September, nectaring on a broad variety of flowers, mating, and laying eggs.

Sleepy Orange butterflies, mating

In the photo below, a Cloudless Sulphur is laying an egg directly opposite a leaf where a Sleepy Orange caterpillar is hiding.

Cloudless Sulphur on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) laying egg opposite leaf where a Sleepy Orange caterpillar is hiding

These two butterfly species have a lot in common. Sleepy Oranges use the same food plants for their caterpillars, and I have so far seen the same preference for Wild Senna rather than Partridge Pea at this location. Both Cloudless Sulphurs and Sleepy Oranges seem to prefer using younger plants as caterpillar host plants.

Like Sleepy Oranges, Cloudless Sulphurs are primarily a tropical species. Their range goes as far south as Argentina. In the moderate temperatures of a southern winter, they survive as adults, mostly inactive, but feeding occasionally. They are somewhat cold tolerant, flying in fairly cool temperatures for butterflies.

But these bright, sprightly butterflies have an adventurer’s genes. Most years, some individuals move northward, sometimes reaching as far as Ontario province in Canada, in spite of the fact that they can’t currently survive sustained cold winter temperatures. At least, as far as we know, they can’t.

So why do Cloudless Sulphurs keep pushing north every year if they can’t survive sustained periods of cold winter weather? How is this beneficial to the species’ continued existence?

A species that can subsist over a broad geographic range in diverse habitats is in a better position to survive over time than one that is more narrowly focused. If something happens to make one part of the range or habitat inhospitable, the species has many other options for locations that will accommodate their continued existance. The larger a species’ population becomes, and the more diverse the environments to which segments of the population are exposed, the more genetic mutations will result in individuals. If the same genetic mutation occurs frequently enough, it may lead to an evolutionary change in the species.

Cloudless Sulphur laying egg on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Cloudless Sulphurs have evolved so that many of those that head north (or their offspring) make a return southward fall migration, spending the winter in a warm southern climate.

But some Cloudless Sulphurs continue to move north in late summer and fall, and probably die when the cold winter sets in. But two things could happen to make this exploration of new territory a worthwhile effort for the species. Warming temperatures could eventually make some of this northern territory moderate enough for the Cloudless Sulphurs to survive the winters as they do in the south. Or a genetic mutation could occur in the Cloudless Sulphurs that leads to an evolutionary change, enabling them to survive a cold northern winter. Their caterpillar food plants, Wild Sennas, are available to support them as far north as Ontario and all of the northeastern United States.

Cloudless Sulphur laying egg on Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Resources:

Cech, Rick; Tudor, Guy. Butterflies of the East Coast. 2005.

Glassberg, Jeffrey. Butterflies through Binoculars A Field Guide to Butterflies in the Boston-New York-Washington Region. 1993.

Scott, James A. The Butterflies of North America. 1986.

Wilson, Edward O. The Social Conquest of Earth. 2013

Butterflies and Moths of North America

Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility

Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division

USDA Plants Database

Butterflybush – Are there better alternatives?

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

About a year ago I was asked by the editor of Butterfly Gardener, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association, to take the ‘con’ side in a debate about whether to use Butterflybush. I knew it was invasive, but until I started to research the article, I didn’t realize the extent of its reach.

It’s all about the next generation: The Caterpillars

There’s no denying that Butterflybush (Buddleja davidii), also called Orange Eye Butterflybush, can be a lovely plant. In a sunny location it has attractive flowers, blooms for a long period of time, and may draw a variety of species of adult butterflies for nectaring. What more could a butterfly gardener want? What else is there to know?

What about caterpillars?

Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillar on Dutchman’s Pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla)

In Butterflies Through Binoculars, Jeffrey Glassberg says “The most important factor contributing to the decline of butterfly species is habitat loss.” Glassberg also states “For many uncommon butterflies the easiest way to locate colonies is to search for sites where the foodplant is common.” By food plant, he means the plant(s) on which the next generation, the caterpillars, can feed and thrive. Perpetuation of butterfly species requires habitat that will support a butterfly’s full life cycle, not just the adult stage.

Kenn Kaufman, in his Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, states “A butterfly’s most important relationship is with the plants eaten by its caterpillars”. Butterflies of the East Coast: An Observer’s Guide by Rick Cech and Guy Tudor notes “the most important single determinant of butterfly distributions, as well as many other aspects of their lives” are the butterfly’s “host plants”, the food plants that caterpillars need to survive.

None of these sources identify Butterflybush as a food plant for butterfly caterpillars. Does it provide food for the hungry caterpillars of any species of butterflies or moths native to North America? A search of the Natural History Museum’s database of known host plants yields only one species of Lepidoptera present in North America as using Butterflybush as a food plant, the Buddelja Budworm Moth, present only in urban areas of California and thought to be introduced there. So it’s not a known caterpillar food plant. Even if a caterpillar is spotted on Butterflybush, more study would be necessary to see if it gets sufficient nutrition to successfully become an adult.

Isn’t it enough that Butterflybush is a good nectar source?

It would be, except for one thing.

The Orange Eye Butterflybush Plant Fact Sheet from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service includes a bright red warning, “Caution: This plant may become invasive.” The USDA lists it as naturalized in 20 states, British Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This means it has escaped from gardens to surrounding natural areas, with the potential to crowd out native vegetation that is essential to wildlife, including butterflies and birds. And is difficult to remove once it has established itself.

According to the USDA, Butterflybush (except for a few sterile cultivars) is prohibited for entry, transport, purchase, sale or propagation in the state of Oregon. It is prohibited from being propagated, released, displayed or sold in New Zealand, is listed as one of the top 20 weeds in Western Europe, and in 2007, the US Fish and Wildlife Service Bayscapes program listed it as a plant that should no longer be used for landscaping. (Soure: The Invasive Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush).(Report), The Botanical Review, September 1, 2009, Tallent-Halsell, Nita G.; Watt, Michael S.)

It’s not that Butterflybush is inherently a bad plant. It is native to China, not North America, Europe or New Zealand. The insects, birds and other residents with which it evolved in China and that depend on it for food there aren’t present in the areas in which it was introduced. So there are no species here that will naturally keep it in check. This is always a potential danger when a species is introduced in an environment in which it is not native, where its food web partners are missing.

A sterile cultivar might be worth a try, but they have a tendency to evolve back into a fertile state over time, so they may become a problem further down the road. Is it worth the risk? (See Developing Sterile Invasives by Ellen Susa )

There are better alternatives

The good news is that there are lots of great alternatives to Butterflybush.

For caterpillar food plants, consider trees and shrubs like Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Oaks, Northern Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum, V. augustifolium), Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa), Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius), Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata) and Pipevine (Aristolochia species), and herbaceous perennials including American or Maryland Senna (Senna hebecarpa, S. marilandica), Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), violets, milkweeds and asters.

Azure laying eggs (ovipositing) on Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)

Red Admiral Nectaring on Ninebark

For nectar, in addition to the plants listed above, you can’t beat Mountain Mints, Common Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis),

Indian Skipper and Bumble Bee nectaring on Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

and Coastal Sweetpepperbush (Clethra alnifolia). What thirsty butterfly could resist pink clouds of Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium species),

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Peck’s Skippers nectaring on Joe-pye-weed (Eupatoriadelphus species)

bold purple New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis),

Zabulon Skipper nectaring on New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

Northern Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa),

Monarch on Northern Blazing Star (Liatris scariosa)

Purple Giant Hyssop (Agastache scrofulariifolia), or sunburst yellow coneflowers?

Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) with American Copper and Bumble Bee

From late summer through fall, the shimmering yellows of goldenrods

Common Buckeye and Potter Wasp on Goldenrod

and the many bright hues of asters are a prolific source of food for hungry butterflies and native bee species, while hosting many other insects that provide essential food for birds.

Orange Sulphur nectaring on Aster

Listed above and pictured here are just a few of my personal favorites. Good sources of information about plants that will work well in your area include Attracting Native Pollinators by Mader, Shephard, Vaughan, Black and LeBuhn; Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy, the North American Butterfly Association website, and your state or regional native plant society.

Most of us (except in places where prohibited, like Oregon and New Zealand!) are free to choose. Would you like to have a chance to watch butterfly species successfully raise new generations on your property, and protect their habitat in the natural areas near you? Choose well, and you will also have a continuously changing display of colorful blossoms to host adult butterflies from early spring through late fall.

Note: This is adapted from an article that appeared in the Summer 2012 issue of Butterfly Gardener, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association.

Milkweed – It’s Not Just for Monarchs

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

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One of the most well known associations between an animal and plant species is the relationship between Monarch butterflies and Milkweed. Monarch butterflies may certainly be seen nectaring at various species of milkweeds…

Monarch nectaring on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Monarch nectaring on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Monarch nectaring on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

but this isn’t unique – they also drink at a wide variety of other flower species.

Monarch nectaring on New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

It’s the dependency that Monarchs have on Milkweeds as the only food source for their caterpillars that makes this relationship so noteworthy. Monarchs, like many species of insects, have evolved to specialize in their larval (in this case caterpillar) food source in order to gain protection from predators through the chemicals they ingest from the plants they eat. Milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides, which are toxic to many species of birds and mammals. Plants have evolved these chemicals to protect themselves from being eaten, a strategy that has largely been successful for the plants. Plants are all about surviving and reproducing, to further the continued existence of their species.

Such a plan for protection is never completely foolproof, however. Monarchs, along with some other insect species, have evolved to be able to digest these plants and sequester the toxins in their bodies, making the insect unpalatable at best and toxic at worst to anyone inexperienced enough to attempt to eat them. As a reminder to bird or mammal predators who sample such an insect and survive to eat another meal, insects with these toxins have also evolved to have bright warning colors, an easy to remember signal to predators to beware before attempting such a meal again. In exchange for this protection obtained from eating Milkweeds, Monarchs are gambling that this food source will continue to be available. Without it, Monarchs won’t survive.

Monarch Caterpiller on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Monarch Caterpiller on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) with Monarch Caterpiller

Monarchs are not alone in their use of Milkweeds. Their copious nectar offerings attract a broad range of butterflies to drink at their flowers, from Eastern Tiger Swallowtails,

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Bumble Bee on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

to the smallest skippers.

Least Skipper on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Tawny-edged Skipper on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

and Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Sleepy Orange and Andrena bee on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

as well as other milkweed species are also favorites of butterflies, bees, and other insects that are nectar feeders, for their reliable, sweet, high energy food.

Butterflies benefit from the food offered by milkweeds, and in return they do help the plants with pollination, but they are not the most successful pollinators of milkweeds. Milkweeds have bundles of pollen, called pollinia, that are linked in pairs by a thin filament. This connector snags an insect appendage that is inserted in just the right spot in a flower. An insect has to approach the flower in a way that will engage the filament connecting the pollinia, and it must also be robust enough to remove the pollinia from the flower in order to assist the plant in cross pollination. The pollinia is carried by the insect to another flower, and inserted by the same mechanism.

Take a look at the Eastern Comma below. It’s perched on top of a flower, using its straw-like proboscis to sip nectar from a Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) flower. With this approach, a butterfly isn’t that likely to be helping this Milkweed out with pollination.

Eastern Comma on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

This Bumble Bee, on the other hand, is facing the flower, with its left front leg inserted in the very location where the pollinia are stored. This bee is engaging the pollen sacs, and has the heft to be able to escape from the flower with them clinging to its leg.

Bumble Bee engaging pollinia of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

If you look carefully at the bee’s left front leg in the photo below, you can see the yellow pollinia attached to it.

Bumble Bee with pollinia of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Large bees, such as Bumble Bees and Carpenter Bees, are among the most successful intermediaries in Milkweed pollination. Common Milkweed flowers release a potent fragrance to attract bees to assist them in their reproduction.

Many other insects take advantage of the nectar bounty offered by Milkweeds, including the Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis).

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis) and Oleander Aphids (Aphis nerii) on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

There’s another insect species dining on this Swamp Milkweed. Do you see the little yellow critters on the stem? You might be thinking, “Eeuuw! Aphids!” If so, you would be half right. These are Oleander Aphids (Aphis nerii), a species frequently found on Milkweeds. But you might want to re-think the “Eeuuw!” It turns out that aphids are an important part of the food chain.

Aphids rarely really harm a plant. And they offer a sustainable food source in the form of honeydew, a sweet excrement that ants love. The ants protect aphids in exchange for this tasty meal. Ants are essential for aerating soil, decomposing plant matter, dispersing seeds, and in some cases protecting plants from other predators.

Ants tending aphids on Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Aphids are also a food source for other insects. In the photo below, this Oleander Aphid is being parasitized by two predators at once! It’s being bitten in the butt (abdomen) by a Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) larva, who plans to consume the aphid. Notice also the bulge on the lower left side of the aphid. That is likely the result of a braconid wasp parasitizing the aphid. The adult female wasp lays an egg inside the aphid, with its resulting offspring consuming the aphid from the inside, leaving an empty husk. Insects could be the inspiration for zombie and vampire stories!(There’s a white squiggly thing on the lady beetle larva that I’m guessing may also be a predator, but so far I haven’t identified it. If you know what it is, let me know!)

Lady Beetle larvae biting aphid that shows signs (bubble) of being parasitized by a braconid wasp.

Lady Beetle larva biting aphid that shows signs (bubble) of being parasitized by a braconid wasp.

If you’re really observant you may have noticed that this scene was taking place on half of a Common Milkweed leaf, with the right side of the leaf missing. Wondering how that happened? It’s the way Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) caterpillars feed, neatly chewing side by side, stopping at the midrib.

Milkweed Tussock Moth (Euchaetes egle) Caterpillers

Another insect that feeds on milkweed leaves is the Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus). This clever creature bites through the midrib of the leaf in a few spots near the leaf tip. This stops the milky latex-like sap from flowing to that part of the leaf, making it possible for the beetle to eat it without having its mouthparts glued together by the sticky substance.

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) on Common Milkweed

Even Milkweed seeds are a source of food for insects like the Small (Lygaeus kalmii) and Large (Oncopeltus fasciatus) Milkweed Bugs. Adults may also consume nectar.

Swamp Milkweed with Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) , adults and nymphs

Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) on Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

All of these insects sport bright colors that warn birds and mammals to avoid eating them. Insect and arthropod predators including the Lady Beetles, wasps, assassin bugs, spiders and Praying Mantises (or Mantids) are not put off, however. They may consume not just nectar feeders, but foliage and seed feeders, too.

Assassin Bug (Pselliopus cinctus) and Bumble Bee on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Many of these predators are safe for birds and other predators to eat. A large percentage of a bird’s diet consists of insects, especially when they are raising their young.

Female Indigo Bunting with lunch

Birds also benefit from Milkweeds by using them as nesting material. The fluffy hairs attached to the seeds can make a soft lining for a Goldfinch nest.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) dispersing seeds

Most Milkweeds also have strong fibers in their stems that birds use to weave nests, including Northern Orioles

Northern Oriole Nest

and Yellow Warblers.

Yellow Warbler

Milkweeds are essential to the continued survival of the Monarch butterfly. They are a copious nectar source for our beleaguered bee populations, and offer food to many other beneficial insects. They’re a source of insect protein and nest material for birds and other animals. Milkweeds – they’re vital for Monarchs, and a whole host of other species, too.

Butterflyweed with Monarch, Great Spangled Fritillary, and Pearl Crescent

Resources

Eastman, John. The Book of Field and Roadside. 2003.

Eastman, John. The Book of Swamp and Bog. 1995.

Eaton, Eric R.; Kauffman, Ken. Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. 2007.

Harrison, Hal H. Eastern Birds’ Nests. 1975

Tallamy, Douglas W. Bringing Nature Home, 2007,

USDA Plants Database

Sleepy Orange Butterflies are Back

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Mary Anne Borge

Sleepy Orange butterflies are back at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve!

Sleepy Orange butterflies on Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) butterflies are a tropical species, present year-round from Central America through the southern tier of the United States. They may breed as far north as the southern tip of New Jersey, west to eastern Colorado, then dipping south to near Las Vegas, Nevada, but they are less common in the northern part of their range, and they are not thought to be able to survive the winter much farther north than North Carolina. Sleepy Orange is a species that likes to push the envelope of its territory, with individuals migrating each year to repopulate the northern areas.

So it’s pretty exciting to have Sleepy Oranges at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, because it’s considered a rare ‘stray’ in Pennsylvania where the Preserve is located. It’s rare across the Delaware River in much of New Jersey, too. In 2012, ours was the only count circle in Pennsylvania or New Jersey to report Sleepy Oranges in the July 4th North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Count.

Even better, I have seen Sleepy Oranges at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve in 2006, 2008, and every year from 2010 through 2013, usually from July through September. Yesterday I counted 10 individuals.

What brings them to the Preserve? Likely it’s the reliable presence of one of their favored caterpillar food plants, Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa).

Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa)

Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa) flowers

Only the presence of this food source has made it possible for Sleepy Oranges to breed at the Preserve. Sleepy Oranges also use other plants in this genus, and Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) and Wild Sensitive Plant (Chamaecrista nictitans) as food plants for their caterpillars. These plants are all pea family members, and contain alkaloids, chemicals that may have a bitter taste to some predators. Sennas also contain another chemical that has laxative properties. It is probable that Sleepy Oranges evolved to specialize on these plants because the chemicals they obtain from this diet offers some protection against predators.

Sleepy Oranges Mating

There are also plenty of nectar sources at the Preserve for the adult Sleepy Oranges, who are pretty eclectic in their tastes.

Female Sleepy Orange on Tall Tickseed (Coreopsis triptera), 2013

Sleepy Orange nectaring on Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), 2008

Sleepy Orange nectaring on Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), 2011

Sleepy Orange nectaring on Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis), 2012

Males are also known to dine on minerals, although I usually see them drinking nectar.

Sleepy Orange on Field Thistle (Cirsium discolor), 2006

Wondering about this butterfly’s name? It’s not based on behavior, because this sprightly butterfly is very active. The photo below illustrates the characteristics that explain the origin of the name ‘Sleepy Orange’. The curved pattern of dark dots near the center of the upper edge of the forewing are thought to resemble a closed eye, resulting in ‘sleepy’, and the bright orange color, especially coming from the top (dorsal) side of the wing explains the rest. Sleepy Oranges overwinter as adults in the south; their winter color form is a darker red-orange.

Sleepy Orange nectaring on New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), 2010

Given the rarity of this butterfly species in the surrounding area, I can’t help but wonder how Sleepy Oranges have been consistently finding Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve for the past several years. It seems unlikely that this primarily tropical species would be able to survive the winter here, but with warmer winter temperatures, who knows? There are some reports of a southern migration of these butterflies in the fall. Could some of the Preserve’s butterflies have flown far enough south to successfully overwinter, and genetically pass on the knowledge of this location to their offspring? Does the generation that overwinters as adults live long enough to make a return northward migration the following year? Is this location near the Delaware River just a favored migration route for Sleepy Oranges and once they see the food available here they decide to stay? Random chance?

If you have an explanation or theory for their consistent appearance here, I would love to hear it!

Female Sleepy Orange on her caterpillar food plant, Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa), 2013

For more on Sleepy Oranges at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, click Sleepy Oranges Overwintering in Pennsylvania.

Resources:

Brock, Jim P.; Kauffman, Ken. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. 2003.

Capon, Brian. Botany for Gardeners. 2005

Cech, Rick; Tudor, Guy. Butterflies of the East Coast. 2005.

Glassberg, Jeffrey. A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America. 2012.

Glassberg, Jeffrey. Butterflies through Binoculars A Field Guide to Butterflies in the Boston-New York-Washington Region. 1993.

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe

http://www.gardenswithwings.com/facts-info/a0810MonarchMigration.html

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/OtherMigrants.html

The Natural Web

Exploring Nature's Connections

Tag Archives: nature

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