Click on the date to view reader comments.We’ll be continuing our limited hours at Geist Nursery for a couple more days. Setters on Septemat the defunct national blog beautifulwildlifegardencom. *This tale was originally published by Loret T. A completely different color late one May Not only will it attract this butterfly, but the plant also produces edible fruits for other wildlife, including mammals such as you. So, if it is within your range, get out to your local native plant nursery and add some pawpaw to your garden. Darker version of a caterpillar from March The underside is a site to behold with the vivid red stripe and blue dots against those unmistakable black and white stripes. Of all the butterflies that visit my garden, I’d have to choose the Zebra Swallowtail as the most beautiful. This is one color version of the caterpillar from April This caterpillar was the smallest I’ve found, so likely an early instar since the others were much larger. The most interesting I found was late May one year where the caterpillar was black with yellow stripes just starting to show themselves. March produced a tannish green with black, yellow and white stripes. I’ve found greenish yellow with black dots and a yellow and black stripe in April. Caterpillars also have different coloring variations. As can be seen in my photos, the summer version is large and really earns its zebra name with the bold black and white stripes. In spring it is a smaller butterfly with pale greenish-white wings. The zebra swallowtail has different variations. It is sometimes hard to locate the caterpillars since they are usually on the underside of the leaves. triloba as the only host in most of the range, which is the eastern half of the United States. The larval host is Pawpaw (Asimina spp.) with A. They use a variety of flowers as nectar sources and are fond of mud to obtain moisture. The Zebra Swallowtail is the only native kite swallowtail in Florida. They use Netted Pawpaw as a larval host in my garden They seem to constantly beat their wings, even while feeding on flowers. They generally are so erratic in their flight and landing that you don’t stand much of a chance of a non-blurry photo unless you have a high-end camera…which I don’t. Out of character, this guy (or gal) was landing long enough to get a picture. I find the Zebra Swallowtail to be one of the more elusive butterflies to photograph so when any opportunity presents itself, I grab my camera and give it a go. No matter what the angle, the Zebra Swallowtail shows its beauty alba was a large, beautiful Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly (Eurytides marcellus), fluttering madly while sipping nectar. A flash of a butterfly caught my attention. The hubby was home and just starting up the lawnmower. That same day, I heard a noise next door and peeked out the window to check on my neighbor’s place. Butterflies just love Spanish Needles aka Bidens alba Every day I find several species of butterflies side by side on the flowers. One of my favorite pollinator magnets, I have it growing in various sections of my yard. Over on Facebook one day, a fellow wildlife gardening blogger remarked about the value of Bidens alba, a wildflower native to Florida. Dateline: September 22, 2012* Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly (Eurytides marcellus) beauty in motion
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