100 Butterfly Species for our Yard!

[audreyh1]

[This can be filed under "but whadya do all day?" : count butterflies.]

2.5 years ago, DH and I parked our perpetual wandering wheels (the RV home) and moved into a house we had built in the Rio Grande Valley at the southern tip of TX. A strong draw was that we had the space to put in a really nice butterfly garden in an area reknown for butterflies. Not large, but with the right selection of plants even a small garden will attract a good number of butterflies.

So Audrey became a landscape architect and with careful design and plant selection (and implementation by the development gardeners) we got our garden in late June of 2010. We started counting in August and by November of 2010 we had already listed 77 butterfly species for the yard! New species accumulated more slowly, but this year has been quite good, and yesterday species number 100 finally arrived for a visit! We are celebrating!

The attached photos are from a year ago, but the garden was already a great butterfly haven. The plants are just all a lot bigger now!

 

[REWahoo]

 

[audreyh1]

I was working on it! Sorry for the delay

 

[REWahoo]

Nice!

 

[grasshopper]

My Sage garden, is still bringing in hummers, I have had a Broad-tailed that made the rare bird alert this week. I had a beautiful Gulf Fritillary yesterday.

 

[Meadbh]

That's really beautiful, Audrey. I remember the photos you posted of the bare lot. You have done a wonderful job and I hope it will be a source of enjoyment for many years.

 

[Midpack]

Landscaping is very nicely done, congrats. Looks more "lush" than I'd expect as far south as you are, but what do I know (really).

And I'll bet the butterflies are wonderful, the kind of thing one (me at least) might largely overlook before retiring. We notice and thoroughly enjoy the wildlife in our neighborhood/backyard more than ever...deer almost every day for us.

 

[FIREd]

Beautiful landscape design! Congrats on a job well done.

 

[W2R]

Lovely!!

 

[Live And Learn]

Beautiful ! I love the landscaping and I'll bet you have your fair share of birds and bees to go with all the butterflies. 100 species of butterflies is AMAZING and a great accomplishment - you should be very proud. Have you thought about registering as a Backyard Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation ?

 

[powerplay]

Beautiful landscaping and attracting 100 butterfly species is amazing.

Plant it and they will come!

 

[audreyh1]

Beautiful ! I love the landscaping and I'll bet you have your fair share of birds and bees to go with all the butterflies. 100 species of butterflies is AMAZING and a great accomplishment - you should be very proud. Have you thought about registering as a Backyard Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation ?

Of course we have birds and bees visit too. And rabbits and skunks and snakes.....

Part of the development is registered as backyard habitat with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

 

[audreyh1]

More pics. In case you didn't know, DH is a dedicated amateur butterfly/wildlife photographer. Yet another whaddya do all day kind of hobby.

#99 Tailed Aguna on blue sky flower:

#98 Yellow-angled Sulphur on Mexican orchid tree:

#100, an Orange Sulphur, hasn't cooperated for its portrait yet (it keeps fleeing DH), but if it keeps hanging around DH may still get a chance for a decent photo.

 

[walkinwood]

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photographs.

 

[RonBoyd]

Outstanding thread, Audrey. Thank you.

 

[Lsbcal]

I'm impressed that you have had the patience to identify all those different butterflies. I think I know only a few pop names like Swallowtail and Painted Lady.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm impressed that you have had the patience to identify all those different butterflies. I think I know only a few pop names like Swallowtail and Painted Lady.

Well, when you live in an area that boasts over 300 species, butterflying becomes as addictive as birding and identification is a big part of the fun. We already knew many of the area butterflies before we even planted the garden as we had been visiting the Valley for years and there are several public butterfly gardens where experts can help you with the identification.

Photography also kind of forces identification. Butterflies are not so tough - there are several good field guides. Dragonflies are much more difficult. My husband spent hours at first searching the web and emailing experts to identify dragonflies he had photographed. Now with his experience it comes a bit easier - plus the guidebooks have really improved.

 

[Live And Learn]

Of course we have birds and bees visit too. And rabbits and skunks and snakes.....

Part of the development is registered as backyard habitat with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

fantastic ! and thanks so much for posting the photos. I love them.

 

[audreyh1]

fantastic ! and thanks so much for posting the photos. I love them.

You bet! My husband is very, very good at what he does. And he gets to do it for free!!!!

 

[Amethyst]

I'm impressed! We have always had a butterfly garden; sadly, it seems to be drawing fewer and fewer butterflies, possibly since all the neighbors started having lawn service (all those pesticides and weedkillers). We are seeing a lot of mantids, too; I love them, but they love butterflies a bit too much.

Amethyst

 

[Meadbh]

Beautiful photographs! #98 could easily be mistaken for a leaf. Good camouflage!

 

[audreyh1]

I'm impressed! We have always had a butterfly garden; sadly, it seems to be drawing fewer and fewer butterflies, possibly since all the neighbors started having lawn service (all those pesticides and weedkillers). We are seeing a lot of mantids, too; I love them, but they love butterflies a bit too much.

Amethyst

I think pesticides are usually a big problem for butterfly gardens - particularly things like bacillus which attacks caterpillars. Fortunately in our neighborhood the lawn service is not allowed to use insecticides (except for ants), and the occasional roundup and broad leaf weed treatment doesn't seem to affect the butterflies.

 

[audreyh1]

Beautiful photographs! #98 could easily be mistaken for a leaf. Good camouflage!

Good observation! Actually, there are several types of butterflies that rely on camouflage. #98 is very good at roosting low in a bush and "disappearing" because it looks just like a yellow leaf.

 

[Meadbh]

Thanks Audrey, my error. I have corrected it in the original post.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks Audrey, my error. I have corrected it in the original post.

Oh - well then really excellent observation! I changed my reply