This is the list of plants Kirti recommends for butterfly gardening:
Acourtia wrightii (Perezia wrightii) - Brownfoot
Allium cernuum – Nodding Onion
Aloysia wrightii – Wright's Bee Brush, Oreganillo
Anemopsis californica – Yerba Mansa, Yerba del Manso
Aristolochia watsoni – Pipevine, Indian Root, Raiz del Indio
Artemisia ludoviciana – Western Mugwort
Asclepias angustifolia – Narrowleaf Milkweed
Asclepias linaria – Pineleaf Milkweed
Dichelostemma capitatum (D. pulchellum) - Bluedicks
Encelia farinosa – Brittlebush
Erigeron divergens - Fleabane
Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium – Flattop Buckwheat
Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana – Mexican Gold Poppy
Glandularia gooddingii (Verbena gooddingii) – Goodding-verbena
Guttierezia sarothrae – Broom Snakeweed
Hyptis emoryi – Desert-lavender
Lesquerella fendleri – Fendler's Bladderpod
Lycium exsertum – Thornberry, Wolfberry
Lycium fremontii – Fremont Wolfberry
Monarda fistulosa – Horsemint, Wild Bee Balm
Monarda pectinata – Spotted Bee Balm
Passiflora bryonioides – Passionflower
Passiflora mexicana – Mexican Passionflower
Poliomintha incana – Hoary Rosemarymint
Rhus ovata – Sugar Sumac
Salvia columbariae – Desert Chia
Senna covesii – Desert Senna
Verbesina encelioides – Crownflower, Añil del Muerto
Night bloomers (for moths)
Peniocereus greggii – Arizona Queen of the Night
Yucca baccata – Banana Yucca
Yucca elata – Soaptree Yucca
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Presumable because of the double freeze this winter and the extremely hot and dry summer, the butterfly numbers were way down from 2010. This is a trend we are seeing thoughout Arizona. Last year we found 44 species of butterflies on the BTA property on the count day (a new record!), while this year it yielded only half of that: 22 species. But we had fun nonetheless, partly because it was the first day with nice fall temperatures, and also because we had guests from Tucson and from England help us with the count! Other teams added species elsewhere in the count circle for a total of 42 species, 514 individuals.
Pipevine Swallowtail 96, Checkered White 1, Orange Sulphur 17, Cloudless Sulphur 28, Mexican Yellow 1, Sleepy Orange 46, “Siva” Juniper Hairstreak 1, Gray Hairstreak 2, Leda Ministreak 8, W. Pygmy Blue 13, Marine Blue 4, Ceraunus Blue 47, Reakirt’s Blue 5, Fatal Metalmark 7, Mormon Metalmark 2, Palmer’s Metalmark 14, American Snout 7, Variegated Fritillary 9, Elada Checkerspot 3, Common Buckeye 3, Tropical Buckeye 1, Red-spotted Purple 2, Viceroy 3, Arizona Sister 1, Hackberry Emperor 10, Empress Leilia 43, Monarch 3, Queen 60, Acacia Skipper 3, Golden-headed Scallopwing 10, Arizona Powdered-Skipper 9, Mournful Duskywing 1, Common Checkered-Skipper 14, Desert Checkered-Skipper 2, Erichson’s White-Skipper 2, Common Sootywing 10, Tropical Least Skipper 1, Orange Skipperling 14, Fiery Skipper 1, Sheep Skipper 6, Eufala Skipper 3, Arizona Giant-Skipper 1.
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A very special event took place last weekend! On Saturday August 13, from 7-9pm, Professional Lepidopterist Dave Wikle came all the way out from California, to teach us about moths at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Moths are commonly perceived by most people as dull-colored stepsisters to the butterfly, but they can be beautiful too. A good tool to attract moths is hanging a white sheet in front of a mercury vapor light. Moths will come in to get observed, ID-ed and photographed.
Over ninety people showed up for this fun event, including many families with children. Kids are fearless when it comes to moths! They love to hold them! It was a big success!
Thank you BTA for accommodating us!
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