Another palamedes swallowtail has emerged this morning, also a little bit smallish, but a female. For a palamedes, she has a LOT of blue on the lower edge of her hindwings - There's a late instar palamedes cat in the same cage that this one came from that I'm quite sure is NOT going to be on the small side. I've named him/her STILL Eating, because that's what I say every time I look in the cage. I thought it was going to pupate a long time ago, but no big bowel expulsion has happened yet - it seems like it's eaten nearly a whole redbay! It finally left a piece of leaf intact this morning, so maybe it'll finally happen today! Sherry

Hi KSOhio; I am in the Dayton, Ohio area. KC and I have had lots of conversations about butterflies. I also conduct a multitude of surveys down here. The literature states that swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) is the preference over three other native Asclepias species (Oviposition preference and larval performance of North American monarch butterflies on four Asclepias species Deborah T. Ladner & Sonia Altizer). In Florida A. curassavica is preferred over A. incarnata. (Malcolm SB & Brower LP (1986) Selective oviposition by monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) in a mixed stand of Asclepias curassavica L. and A. incarnata). We find in practice that monarchs prefer A. incarnata to A. curassavica. It's just that currasavica is quick growing and can be managed easier at times because it is an annual. As to its preventing OE. Nope, we have fed it exclusively to Monarchs and gotten lots of OE. It might help the insect if a very low number of spores were consumed but I would not rely on it to prevent OE. Purchasing or importing Monarchs is a really bad idea. There are lots of reputable butterfly farms but some aren't. I volunteer at Cox Arboretum's butterfly house. We often get caterpillars from folks who have to go on vacation and "donate" their monarch caterpillar to us. The last batch was heavily infected with OE. Even so, your purchasing and raising Monarchs is not likely to help the population across the country or even in NW Ohio. The major issues for our monarchs in Ohio are as follows, 1) the condition and weather of the Mexican hibernation areas 2) the condition and weather of the first stopping over point along the gulf coast (the drought last year in Texas caused some of the lowest numbers yet) 3) the availability of nectar plants on migration (round-up ready crops have done a number on all butterflies as well as the suburbanization of farm lands). Be patient, get seed from local sources if possible and start plants this early spring and you will have all you need. In terms of the Giant Swallowtail. I would be interested in the citation for the white sapote. I have not found an article listing preferences for the GS. However, here is something to think about. You mentioned the hummingbird prefering local plants. This is very true of butterflies, with perhaps the exception of the Monarch (which makes sense since it migrates great distances). Sonia Altizer's study cites this; "Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) sampled along a latitudinal gradient showed greater oviposition preference and larval performance on tree species that were relatively more abundant at their collection sites (Bossart & Scriber, 1995)." On this board we have noted that a butterfly growing in Miss Sherry's backyard may prefer something different to mine. So, I would definately think that GS's here would prefer local plants. Can you tell me why you think the GS is "dwindling"? If anything we have seen an increase. The GS is not a hardy overwintering butterfly. It can take cold temps but not well. So, with the change in our weather patterns, we are actually seeing more of them (see The Role of Environmental Factors In the Northeastern Range Expansion of Papilio cresephontes. Susan D. Finkbeiner, 2011). So, if you plant the right plants, I suspect you will attract them. Good luck, Elisabeth

If they are the tropical yellow flowering "butterfly weed", it may take some time. From my experience the Monarchs only use these as last resort. If your concerned about pesticides, they probably didn't use a systemic, so just water wash the plants really well and they should be ok. Also, if you've placed your pots in a new spot, it may just take time for them to find them. Anna

Sassafras is one of the most difficult plants there is to grow on purpose. Where it grows wild on its own, it does fine, spreads itself, but transplanting it is almost impossible. I've also never been able to grow spicebush successfully, tried many times under many different soil, drainage and lighting conditions. In years past, posters would say they'd find spicebush cats on camphor tree. I know it's listed as an invasive, but at least you can purposely grow it. It grows here, too, dies back in winter if we have a hard freeze, but comes back from the roots. There is some growing wild down the street - I may sneak in and take a cutting and see if I can root it. There are some spicebushes/Lindera native to Florida other than L. benzoin that might grow for you if you can just find them for sale or find some growing wild to take a cutting or seeds from. Red-spotted purples use wild black cherry 95% of the time, occasionally use willow or wild crabapple. There are some WBCs coming up here in my town yard, and I'm letting them grow, I haven't found any cats on them yet, but I have seen the adults here occasionally. I found many in the country, raised them myself many times, also saw one on the new country property. Sherry