Butterflies - Our Butterflies

Our Butterflies

Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes

Host Plants:
Queen Anne's Lace, Carrot, Celery, Dill, Fennel and Citrus family

Habitat:
old fields, roadsides, pastures, disturbed sites, suburban gardens and agricultural land

Broods:
multiple generations, late February to November

Egg:
yellow, laid singly on host leaves

Larva:
green with black bands and yellow-orange spots

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Ceraunus Blue

Ceraunus Blue
Hemiargus ceraunus

Host Plants:
numerous Fabaceous plants including Hairy Indigo, Creeping Indigo, Partridge Pea and Milk Peas

Habitat:
open, disturbed sites including roadsides, vacant fields, utility easements and fallow agricultural land

Broods:
multiple generations

Egg:
greenish blue, laid singly on flower buds of host

Larva:
highly variable; green with a red lateral stripe to highly patterned pinkish red

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Great Southern White

Great Southern White
Ascia monuste

Host Plants:
Virginia Pepper Grass, Saltwort, Sea Rocket and others

Habitat:
open sites including roadsides, coastal dunes, salt marshes, vacant fields, agricultural land

Broods:
multiple generations

Egg:
yellow, laid singly or in small groups on host leaves

Larva:
yellow with grayish purple longitudinal stripes, black dots and numerous small hairs

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Gulf Fritillary

Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae

Host Plants:
various Passion Flower species including Maypop, Corky-Stemmed Passion Flower and Yellow Passion Flower

Habitat:
open, disturbed sites including roadsides, old fields, utility easements, parks and gardens

Broods:
multiple generations

Egg:
yellow eggs laid singly on host leaves

Larva:
orange with greenish black stripes and black, branched spines

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Monarch

Monarch
Danaus plexippus

Host Plants:
various milkweed family plants including Mexican Milkweed, White Swamp Milkweed, Sandhill Milkweed and White Vine

Habitat:
open, sunny locations including old fields, roadsides, pinelands, utility easements, sandhills, fallow agricultural land and gardens

Broods:
multiple generations

Egg:
white, laid singly on host leaves

Larva:
white with transverse black and yellow stripes; there is a pair of long, black filaments on each end

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Polydamus Swallowtail

Polydamus Swallowtail
Battus polydamus

Host Plants:
various native and ornamental pipevine species

Habitat:
fields, gardens, woodland edges, suburban parks, disturbed sites

Broods:
multiple generations

Egg:
amber-brown, laid in small clusters on new growth of the host

Larva:
robust, chocolate-brown with numerous short orange, fleshy tubercles

Reference: All data comes from The Florida Butterfly Database

Our Florida Butterflies

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