Join us! It's the sixth annual Butterfly Egg Hunt at Shady Oak Butterfly Farm. We are meeting at the farm at 2PM April 19. We wander in the back field and woods for a 'butterfly hunt'. Wear jeans, tick repellant, and a grin. Bring your camera! Write edith@buyabutterfly for more information or to let us know that you'll be joining us on our 'Easter Egg Hunt'.

Butterflies are flying here in the deep south while up north, some butterfly gardens are still covered in snow. One of the butterflies that most of us have raised in our gardens is the Eastern Black Swallowtail. Host plants for this swallowtail are plants in the carrot family such as dill, parsley, and fennel. Rue is also used by both the Black Swallowtail and the Giant Swallowtail.

We grew parsley and fennel for gardeners to plant for their caterpillars. This week we will be holding a 'buy- any-two-get-one-free' parsley and fennel sale. Included are Bronze Fennel, Florence Fennel, Curly Parsley, Flat Parsley, and Queen Anne's Lace. Check the coupon below for instructions to obtain this special deal!

Blue colors part of the female Black Swallowtail's hind wings. Male Black Swallowtails boast more yellow than blue.

Caterpillars of the Eastern Black and Monarch are often confused because of their similar coloring. Small Eastern Black and Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars resemble greatly.

Pellitory leaves don't naturally grow in little clumps. Caterpillars sew the leaves together to form a little clump of leaves. They rest inside the clumps of leaves, often leaving thier nest to eat leaves elsewhere on the plant. Pellitory is an annual that reseeds and grows again each year. Prefering light to heavy shade and a bit of moisture (too much water will rot the plant), it grows and hosts Red Admirals in the spring and fall.

False nettle leaves are folded in half, lengthwise, by young caterpillars. Older caterpillars may fold a large leaf lengthwise or several leaves together. False Nettle doesn't have a stinging hair on it! In the deep south, False Nettle seeds in the fall and dies back to the ground. In the spring, it grows again, a larger plant each year. Question Mark caterpillars also eat False Nettle.

Pellitory is also included in the plant sale! See the coupon below.

The American Lady and the Painted Lady resemble a LOT. Most people don't realize that these are two different species. American Lady caterpillars eat cudweed. Cudweed is an annual that we mow in our lawns and pull from our gardens.

Can you tell the difference between the two butterflies? While supplies last, we are offering a free American Lady AND a free Painted Lady caterpillar with your purchase of two cudweed plants. (Limit one of each caterpillar per shipment.) Watch them eat and grow and learn the difference as they pupate and emerge as adult butterflies.

To obtain the free caterpillars with your cudweed purchase, write to edith@buyabutterfly.com and put 'free caterpillars request' in the subject line.

NOTE: American Lady caterpillars cannot be shipped to Washington state and Montana. Painted Lady caterpillars cannot be shipped to New Mexico.

White Peacock butterflies are found only in the extreme south. Florida and the lower tip of Texas are the two main states where White Peacocks are found.

Water Hyssop grows in wet soil and in water. Often used in aquariums, you can't overwater this plant!

Eggs are often laid on the tips of Water Hyssop that rise above the surface of the water. After the caterpillars eat the portion of the plant above water or when the water level rises, their little 'hairy' bodies easily float to another item for them to climb upon.

If you are raising White Peacocks indoors, Ribgrass Plantain is an excellent host plant.

The Sunday after every Easter a few of us butterfly nuts meet at the farm to wander around in the back field and woods to hunt for butterfly eggs and larvae, cameras in hand.

Normally we find Zebra Swallowtail eggs and larvae, American Lady larvae, Red Admiral larvae, and a few more.

If you'd like to join us, please email me at edith@buyabutterfly.com.

And the winner is ... "Butterfly Kisses" Submitted by Karen Acton

Karen, please send us your address to receive your gift certificate!

An orange Julia butterfly drinks from an orange.

Please send your vote to edith@buyabutterfly.com before April 30!

The winner of the contest will receive a $20 gift card from Shady Oak Butterfly Farm.

Shady Oak is pleased to offer one day seminars to one week internships at the butterfly farm.

Every aspect of butterfly breeding and farming is covered in this packed week. From breeding stock to egg production to larvae care to pupae care to emerging to adult care to predators to parasitoids to shipping and packing to marketing to plant production to plant pests to lepidoptera disease to USDA permits to marketing to ....

A visit to the Butterfly Rainforest is included in a one week internship.

If you enjoy this newsletter, please share it with your friends. Every 100th new subscriber (and the person who recommended Butterflies!) will receive a gift from Shady Oak.

The 1,000th subscriber wrote, "I received my thank you gift for being the 1000th person to sign up for the newsletter. It was way more than I expected. THANK YOU."

Photo right: the Smith clan (missing four due to work and illness).

Until next time, Edith, Stephen, Ester, Michelle, Christina, Rachel, and the gang