On September 18th, 50 people participated in a tour of the prairie plantings around the Cherry Valley Library with Alan Branhagen to look for butterflies and moths. They only found ONE! Alan said that this is now the new normal, but it is not normal! Luckily, butterflies and moths have resiliency to rebound if given a chance, he said.
Alan is an all-around plantsman and naturalist specializing in birds, butterflies, botany, and planning and design with nature. Alan is the Executive Director of the Natural Land Institute in Rockford, Illinois: one of the nation’s first land trusts and organizations. He is the author of 3 books: The Gardener’s Butterfly Book, Native Plants of the Midwest, and The Midwest Native Plant Primer. Alan has a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University and a Master’s of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University.
We moved inside to learn from Alan, “What’s Up With Lepidoptera—Butterflies and Moths.” He bemoaned the dramatic loss of species and populations of butterflies and moths due to pesticide drift, habitat destruction, and climate change. Three species of butterflies are on the brink of extinction, including the Regal Fritillary, a species that was once found in our area. What we do in our own gardens can help save butterflies and moths.
The three key things gardeners need to do are:
- Plant the host plants for caterpillars to feed on and plenty of nectar plants for adults;
- Provide habitat for those species that are specialists – trees, shrubs, wetlands, and prairies;
- Leave twigs, leaves, and dead stems for eggs, caterpillars, cocoons, and adults to overwinter.
Some butterflies and moths are generalists thrive in many habitats, while others need specific plants to survive. A few species, such as the Monarch and Painted Lady, migrate to warmer climates to overwinter, while most others hibernate during the winter as pupae or adults.
Alan then shared his wonderful photos of the five families of butterflies and moths, with information about their life cycles, habitat needs, and status:
- Swallowtails – Black, Eastern Tiger, and Giant Swallowtails are well-known and all overwinter as adults.
- White and Yellow – Cabbage white is not native. Little Yellow, Clouded, and Orange Sulphur were once abundant, now rare.
- Gossamer-Winged – Eastern Tailed-Blue, Spring and Summer Azures, Blues, Coopers, and Hairstreaks are some of the species in this family.
- Brush-Footed – The largest family, including Pearl Crescent, Silvery Checkerspot, Great-Spangled Fritillary, Red Admiral, Viceroy, Hackberry Emperor, Painted Lady, Question Mark, Mourning Cloak, Satyrs, Pearly-eye, Monarch, Baltimore Checkerspot, Common Buckeye, and American Snout. The Monarch is the poster child of the effort to protect a migratory population of butterflies and the subject of international treaties and efforts to preserve their overwintering habitat in Mexico. The Baltimore Checkerspot needs Turtlehead plants to survive, and these only grow in wetlands. The population of Checkerspots is in serious decline.
- Skippers – Duskywings, Silver-spotted, and Grass skippers are common.
Alan then reviewed some of the many species of moths that can be found in our area. Moths mostly only fly at night, so they are not as well-known as butterflies. Some, such as the Luna Moth and Cecropia Moth, are large and showy, while most species are drab colored. Like butterflies, moths feed on specific host plants, need the right habitat, and cover to overwinter.
Throughout the program, Alan expressed his shock and dismay at the dramatic drop in the number of butterflies and moths in his lifetime. “This is not acceptable, and drastic steps must be taken to reverse this trend,” he said. “Luckily, they are resilient and the populations can recover if we restore habitat, reduce pesticide drift, and provide places for them to overwinter.”
Recap by Jerry Paulson
