Butterfly Haven
Hershey Gardens in Hershey Pennsylvania is the home of a magical butterfly sanctuary.
The Butterfly House is part of the children's area but with the
butterflies, the bird observation area, the ABC garden and all the
little extras to attract kids to the plant world, this section is a fascination at any age.
Listed below are some of the numerous types of butterfly species housed
within the greenhouse type structure. The attendants for the
butterflies watch over them with great care. It is very important that
they don't escape so visitors are inspected before exiting for any
butterflies hitching a ride. Strollers are not allowed due to space
restrictions and also since the butterflies are everywhere it is easy to
harm them by accidentally stepping on them. Without predators, these
flying flowers float around without a care. They have food, shelter,
water, warmth...what a life during their short adult life spans which
averages two weeks to a few months depending on the type. Included was a
display of all the various types of chrysalis' so amazingly camouflaged
to look like leaves and bird droppings.
The
buckeye caterpillar is part
of the brushfooted family. It is found throughout most of the U.S.
except for the Rocky Mt. states. It is found in open areas with low
vegetation, such as along roadsides, railroads, fields and meadows. To
attract them plant snapdragons as a food source for the larvae and a
variety of flowers for nectar for the adults.
The
julia is a subtropical butterfly from Brazil to southern Texas, Florida and Mexico. They feed on the nectar of firebush and lantana.
The
malachite
is a tropical butterfly widespread in Central and South America. In
America, they can be found in Texas and Florida. The caterpillars feed
on green shrimp-plant and the adults feed on fermenting fruit.
Several types within Hershey's Gardens are from the swallowtail family.
This family contains species that are the largest butterflies in North
America. Swallowtails get their name from the "tails" on the back
edge of their wings that reminded people of the forked tails of
Swallows.
The
tiger swallowtail butterflies
can be found all throughout Alaska, Canada south through the U.S. east
of the Rockies. Swallowtails favor broadleaf trees and shrubs. Birds
avoid them due to a chemical in its body that makes it distasteful.
Very common among gardens, farmland and meadows.
The
spicebush swallowtail is
such a beauty with its blue and black markings. Sassafras and Spicebush
are North American natives and are the needed host plants for the
caterpillars. The eyespots and big head make this caterpillar ferocious
looking to predators. Adults feed on honeysuckle, butterfly bush, Joe
Pye wee, zinnias and coneflowers. Birds avoid this type as well due to
its foul taste.
The
zebra swallowtail has a
favorite location around the Potomac area near Washington, D.C. and into
Virginia along rivers, but they do extend westward to the Great Plains.
A host plant for the eggs to be laid is the paw-paw tree. Adults dine
on a variety of sources with sweet nectar. These butterflies can live
for up to six months.
Another swallowtail, the
eastern black swallowtail,
has a range all the way west to the Rockies and then the western black
swallowtail is found. Plant preferences are parsley, carrot and dill
and nectar sources include phlox and milkweed. Very common among
gardens and farmland but avoids wooded areas.
Viceroy butterfly
is often confused with the monarch butterfly. There is an extra black
line across the viceroy's hind wings that distinguishes it from the
monarch. Milkweed butterflies such as the monarch are distasteful to
predators, therefore similar looking types are also avoided. Viceroys
live throughout most of the U.S. and Canada. They frequent moist areas
as well as open meadows seeking thistles, asters and goldenrod. The
larvae eat the leaves of trees such as the aspens, poplars, willows and
fruit trees.
Easy to identify because of the stripes and long wings, the
zebra longwings
are normally found in the south and mid-western U.S. They prefer the
edge of forests. Passionflower is the sought after host plant for the
larvae. The flowers are toxic but harmless to the longwings and makes
them distasteful to predators. This type of butterfly can live up to
three months. They are the only butterflies known to eat pollen, which
is a form of protein, enabling them to live longer than living on only
nectar (sugar) sources.
Being a tropical resident, the
white peacock
is active throughout the year. They are closely related to the
buckeyes and are native to the very southern Florida and Texas areas and
like wet, swampy habitats. Caterpillars feed on ruellia and water
hyssop plants.
Hershey Gardens included a few moths as well. Moth larvae develop in
cocoons rather than chrysalises. Moths can be distinguished from
butterflies in that they are night dwellers, have heavier bodies, and
have feathery antennae, whereas butterlies' are wiry with clubbed tips.
Luna moths
are widespread across the U.S. and Mexico and often can be as large as 4
inches across. With its long tail and eyespots as a distraction from
its head, they can often escape predators. Luna caterpillars feed on the
foliage of broad-leaved trees such as birch. As adults they do not
feed at all, so only live a few days.
Looking surprisingly like a butterfly, the
cecropia moth
belongs to the family of silk moths. Its range extends east of the
Rocky Mountains of the U.S. and southern Canada. Also known as the
robin moth, this moth is the largest in North America with a wingspan of
six inches. Having no mouth parts they only survive long enough to
find a mate and breed, from one to two weeks. The caterpillars feed on
shrubs and trees, such as dogwood, box elder, willow, sugar maple,
alder, birch, and fruit trees.
About the same size wingspan as a hummingbird as well as rapidly beating its wings as it feeds, the
hummingbird clearwing moth
is also called sphinx moth or hawk moth. These moths can reach speeds
of 30 miles per hour. Common in the eastern U.S. and Canada these moths
feed on hawthorns and flower nectar during the day. Caterpillar food
source include shrubs such as the viburnum. Rather than spinning a
cocoon, the caterpillar digs into the soil.
I'm not sure if this type of moth was at Hershey Gardens but it frequents our area and it is so cute I had to mention it.
Its common name is
Rosy Maple Moth
The habitat is deciduous forests but its eggs are laid in maple trees.
They range from Canada down to Florida over to Texas.
The many plant types throughout the butterfly house included:
Butterfly bushes, lantana, coneflowers, rubeckias, verbena, lobelia, joe-pye weed, salvia, phlox and the shrub called spicebush.
Other valuable plants include dill, fennel, nettles, butterfly weed,
milkweed, aster, marigold, zinnia, tithonia and the shrub buttonbush.
Water was supplied by way of a little pond and puddling areas.
Fresh fruit was offered on plates at ground level.
A great source for more information:
Host plants for caterpillars
Nectar plants for butterflies
