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Butterflies!
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February 2011
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Spring is knocking at our door! A few butterflies can be spotted flying about here in north Florida.
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Basic Butterfly Gardening
The very basics of butterfly gardening is about planting both nectar plants and host plants. A pdf is uploaded to our website. Please feel free to download it if you would like to do so!
Click here to see the pdf
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Caterpillar - is it a male or a female?
Can anyone tell?
With most species of butterflies, one cannot tell if the caterpillar is a male or a female. But with some species, it is possible!
Long-tailed Skippers, Brazilian Skippers, and other species with clear or translucent skin give us a peek into their insides.
Click to see more images of male and female caterpillars
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First in the Spring - Zebra Swallowtail
We can't help but grin when we see our first Zebra Swallowtail each year.
Sadly, a few will emerge before pawpaw plants are sprouting leaves. Any eggs from these few adults will result in caterpillars without leaves to eat. Soon, more Zebra Swallowtails will be flying as spring arrives and will be taking advantage of fresh pawpaw leaves in the fields and woods.
Zebra Swallowtail Lifecycle
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Need Seed?
Free milkweed and other seed for your butterfly garden!
Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:
Free BF Seed
12876 SW CR 231
Brooker, FL 32622
Milkweed, false nettle, parsley or fennel, calico vine, and a few other species available.
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Butterfly Fun Facts
... through facebook ...
If you're not a fan of Shady Oak Butterfly Farm on facebook, please check us out! We share bits and pieces about butterflies several times daily.
We encourage our fans to share their photos and experiences. Shady Oak's facebook page isn't about Shady Oak. It's about butterflies. The more we all share, the more we all learn, the safer we can make the world for butterflies and moths.
Please join us!
Butterfly Fun Facts on Facebook
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DISINFECT your rearing containers now!
Disgusting dead liquidfied caterpillars?
Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus is a dreadful caterpillar disease.
Nearly every species can contract this disease. The caterpillar turns to a foul-smelling liquid.
In Florida, this disease especially hits the Gulf Fritillary population. A walk through a passionvine patch reveals the remains of these caterpillars.
Sadly, nothing can be done to prevent this disease in nature.
But if you have raised caterpillars indoors last year, disinfect your rearing containers before you place another caterpillar inside one. It is best to take time between each batch of caterpillars to disinfect your rearing containers. This is the most infectious of caterpillar diseases.
It is nature's way of keeping the butterfly population going. Nature must kill 98% of all eggs before they become adults. NPV is one of nature's methods of doing so.
Click here to learn more about NPV
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Photo right: the
Smith clan (missing four due to work and illness).
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She moved on ...
We are proud to announce that Ester no longer works at the farm! She began as office manager before stepping down to work part time as she attended nursing college. Ester has played the part of a bride several times in front of the camera, to provide 'wedding' release photos.
While she worked part to full time, she attending nursing college in Gainesville and graduated last spring. Ester is now a Trauma ICU nurse at Shands Hospital in Gainesville.
We are proud to have played a part in helping her achieve her dreams. Congratulations, Ester!
See Ester at her pinning!
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