Bu#erfliesandmothsdancefromoneflowertoanotherinourgardens,drinkingnectarwiththeirlongslenderproboscis.Abitofpollens<ckstotheproboscisandistransferredtothefemalepartofanotherflower.

Bu#erfliesareday<mevisitors;theyseecolorswell,buttheyhaveapoorsenseofsmell.Mothsappearattwilightandatnight;they’rea#ractedtowhiteandcream-coloredflowerswithastrongodor–some<mesfragrantandsome<mesnot!

Bu#erflieslikeflowersthatofferalandingpadthatprovidesroomfortheirwingsastheystoptosipthenectar.Mothsdon’tneedthispedestal,astheydon’tlingerlongenough.

Bu#erfliesandmothsalsoneedplantsthatprovideaplacetolaytheireggsandfeedtheirlarvaeoncetheyhatch.Somespeciesarehost-specific–theycanonlysurviveiftheirhostplantisavailable.

Someplantspeciesofferspecialprotec<ontolarvalcaterpillars.Theleavesthattheyfeedoncontainachemicalthatispoisonoustopredators,protec<ngthecaterpillarsfromhungrybirds.Otherbu#erflyspecieshaveevolvedtomimictheappearanceoftheseprotectedbu#erflies;theystaysafefromthepredators,too.

Butterflies and Moths Our Garden Dancers!

Bu#erfliesandmothsliketosipwaterfrommudpuddles,consumingimportantsaltsandmineralsfromthesoil.Youcana#ractthemtoyourgardenbyprovidingapuddlingsta<on.

Favoriteplantsofourlocalbu#erfliesincludena<ves,suchasbuckwheat,coyotemint,milkweed,hummingbirdsage,yarrow,lavatera,ceanothus,lupine,manzanita,andCaliforniabuckeye.

Otherfavoritesincludelantana,pincushionflower,coneflowerspecies,asterspecies,pineappleguava,andbu#erflybush.

Mothsarea#ractedtowhitevarie<esofbu#erflybushandsalvia,aswellasna<vemanzanitas,honeysuckleandeveningprimrose.Choosethewhitevarie<esofannualnico<ana,impa<ensandpetuniatobringmothstoyournightgarden.Mothlarvaewillbenefitfromna<vesnowberryandCaliforniafuchsia.

Betsy McGee Marin Master Gardener 2017 Marin County Fair

Bu#erflyonmilkweed

Bu#erfliesinmudpuddle

Bu#erflyonrabbitbrush

Bu#erflyonconeflower

Bu#erflyonpincushion