Butterflies are my family's favorite part of nature. We have raised them. We have monitored them in nature. We have read loads of books on them. We never grow tired of these beautiful creatures. No matter where you may live (except maybe Antartica), you will be able to find a butterfly fluttering from flower to flower. They are all beautiful and they are all essential to our ecosystems.
In an effort to have this week's newsletter slightly shorter than our enthusiasm, we will focus on traits and characteristics common in most butterflies. We will also highlight a few species that you should keep an eye out for in the Conejo Valley.
Butterfly Life Cycle
A butterfly is one of the few creatures that can make a complete transformation in its short lifetime. Caterpillars will grow in size roughly 2000% from the day they hatch until the time they form their chrysalides. They will molt approximately five times. Each time they molt, they grow slightly larger. Their final molt reveals their temporary exoskeleton, the chrysalis. This will be their form for nearly two weeks. When they break out of this chrysalis, the butterfly will have the body it will have for the rest of its life. Some butterflies only live a few weeks. Other species can live up to a full year.
Here is a video of my kiddos and I watching a Gulf fritillary butterfly emerging from its chrysalis on our passion flower. If you turn the sound up, you can hear their sweet reactions.
Butterfly Diet
A butterfly no longer has the same mouth it had as a caterpillar. It has a proboscis to eat. A proboscis is a long straw that uncurls when it lands on a flower. It uses this proboscis to drink nectar from flowers.
Caterpillars rely on the plant where it was hatched. Some butterflies only eat one type of plant. The Gulf fritillary caterpillar eats passion flower. The Monarch caterpillar only eats milkweed leaves.
Chrysalis vs. Cocoon
Many times the the words "chrysalis" and "cocoon" get interchanged when discussing the final stage of a butterfly. However they are two completely different things. Cocoons refer to the silk casing moths spin around them. It provides warmth and protection. It can be attached to something or buried underground. Chrysalises, on the other hand, are not silk. Butterflies molt into a chrysalis, a hard exoskeleton that protects them while transforming into a butterfly. Chrysalises are usually hanging by a piece of silk at the top. Younger caterpillars will also spin silk and use it as an anchor when eating. If a predator comes or they get bumped off the plant, the silk will keep them attached to the plant.
This 19 second time-lapse covers about 10 minutes in real time of a monarch caterpillar transforming in a chrysalis. The fascinating part about the chrysalis transition is that it is actually the exoskeleton of the butterfly. The outer layer of the caterpillar molts off revealing the exoskeleton. When the wings and rest of the butterfly are fully developed, the butterfly will molt out of this exoskeleton and fly away.
Migration
Beautiful footage of the Painted Lady Migration March 11, 2019
Two years ago, Southern California had some amazing views of the Painted Lady Migration. Most butterflies spend their entire lives in the area where they are hatched, but an exception is the monarch butterfly. This butterfly migrates from Mexico to Canada. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey. The farthest ranging monarch butterfly recorded traveled 265 miles in one day. Monarchs use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home!
What Butterflies can you spot in Conejo Valley
Several butterflies call Conejo Valley home. The butterfly guide pictured above can be found at many trailheads and features the butterflies most abundant in the area.
Where in the Conejo Valley can you spot butterflies?
Butterflies go where the flowers are. When the wildflowers begin to bloom, there will be a wider area of where you might spot them. Below are three of our favorite locations to spot butterflies year-round.
2. Las Flores Community Garden (The inside of this garden is for those who have a membership, but because many plant flowers, my family enjoys walking around the permimeter and many butterflies flutter around.)
3. Trails with shade like Los Padres Trail
Butterfly Tip: Butterflies like flowers and so areas with lots of flowers will have the most butterflies. That could be your own backyard.
Moth or Butterfly?
Is it a moth or a butterfly? Here are three observations that might help.
BUTTERFLY:
1. Rests with wings up 2. Awake during the day 3. Has a smooth and long body
MOTH:
1. Rests with wings flat 2. Awake during the night 3. Has a fury and stocky body
Grow a Butterfly Garden
Creating a butterfly garden can be a very rewarding experience if you have children or not. We started our butterfly garden by simply purchasing a few milkweed plants. We kept them in the pots simply because we wanted to observe the metamorphosis process. When the caterpillars got large, we put the pots in a butterfly enclosure and were able to watch the caterpillars transform. We then released them after they hatched.
Eventually, we began planting specific plants to attract more butterflies. By planting native plants in the area you can attract migrating butterflies. A great resource for finding native plants that butterflies enjoy is the Theadore Payne Foundation Guide to Butterfly and Moth Gardening that can be found here: http://theodorepayne.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BUTTERFLIES-2016_FINAL.pdf
Another nursery that we love to get California native butterfly attracting plants and advice is the Matilija Nursery in Moorpark. It is a fantastic place to visit and the owner, Bob, is incredibly helpful. Check out their website here: http://www.matilijanursery.com
A local person that is very knowledgable on Monarch Butterflies and butterfly gardens is Linda Godin from http://thisisamonarchy.weebly.com Her home and nursery is in Thousand Oaks, so if you are in the area and interested in talking to her about your garden or want to purchase a butterfly starter kit, connect with her!
ARE YOU AN EDUCATOR? If you would like this information in a format you can distribute to your class, let's chat! Email Christina at naturekidsactivities@gmail.com
