Kids / Education

Would you like to create a playground for real, free-flying butterflies? With a little bit of knowledge about butterflies and plants, your yard can become a first-rate haven for the neighborhood butterflies. The most important thing to remember is that a well-planned butterfly habitat is welcoming to each stage of this creature’s life; from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.

Stage One: Tiny egg on leaf

Stage Two: Hungry Monarch caterpillar

Stage Three: Monarch pupa ready to emerge from cocoon

Stage Four: Beautiful Zebra Longwing, Florida’s state butterfly

Butterflies begin life as a tiny egg. Butterflies lay their eggs on the same plant their caterpillars will eventually eat. This first stage of life lasts about 3-5 days, although some eggs last longer.

The second stage begins the metamorphosis, or change, from larva to butterfly. It is the famous very hungry caterpillar stage. A caterpillar’s eating binge can last from 2-6 weeks as it molts several times and changes in size and color.

Caterpillars are picky eaters and prefer specific kinds of host plants. Later, as butterflies, they will prefer a different type of food. Butterfly gardens should provide food for both caterpillars and butterflies. Think of it as offering a child menu and an adult menu. Caterpillars like to munch on these types of Central Florida plants: milkweed, maypop, senna, fennel, and Calico flower.

The third stage is the pupa or chrysalis stage, when the caterpillar houses itself in a pouch made from its skin. The eating binge helps it survive this stage and supplies the energy needed for the final transformation. The pupa stage can last from 10 days to several weeks depending on the climate and type of butterfly. Chrysalises can often be found hanging on or near larval host plants.

The fourth and final stage begins with the emergence of a beautiful butterfly. First the new butterfly inflates its wings with blood and then sits motionless for several hours as they dry. Afterward it is ready to take flight and scout the neighborhood for nectar plants. This final stage of life lasts from 20-40 days. Butterflies are drawn like a magnet to nectar found in these simple, colorful flowers: butterfly bush, hibiscus, lantana, plumbago, azaleas, viburnum, and pentas. Many native butterflies seem to prefer flowers that have purple, red, yellow, orange or pink blossoms.

If planting a backyard butterfly garden is not in your plans, you can view butterflies in flight at several Central Florida locations including planned habitats such as Hollis Gardens in Lakeland; Bok Tower in Lake Wales; Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven; MOSI in Tampa; and the new Butterfly Rainforest, with over 2,000 free-flying butterflies, at UF in Gainesville. Summer and fall are best for viewing butterflies in their natural habitats among the wildflowers at Kissimmee Prairie Reserve State Park and along the trail at Saddle Creek County Park. Remember to take your camera!

For more detailed information about butterfly gardening in Florida, visit the University of Florida’s website.

Photos Courtesy of Scott Nelson