So far we have seen fewer butterflies than any previous summer. We always have flat leaf parsley for the black swallowtail caterpillars and one year a rue was covered with all stages of the larvae at the same time. It was eventually completely consumed. We did take that out due to allegic tendencies. The passion vine is host to one of the fritillaries. We removed the wild one because it had become very invasive but I have seen a few fritillary, saw one black swallowtail yesterday. We have plenty of trees and wild plants in the woods and along the roadside also that could serve as host plant for the larvae and plenty of nectar flowers for the butterflies. We usually have hundreds during the month of July. Here is an excellent reference site. At the bottom of the state page the areas are defined by counties. We have used it extensively. EP

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterflies of North America

Thanks for the link! I've been butterfly gardening for several years now. The Rue does not bother me, but I know that others are sensitive to it. I found a black swallowtail making his way down a blade of my ornamental grass, which sits right next to the giant fennel, this evening. A big old fat, girl, I hope, who will lay eggs when she emerges. My luck, it'll be a boy.

Yes, I have passiflora 'Incense' and am getting another one for the gulf fritilaries, which I now understand are not true frits, but members of the zebra longwing group.

I also grow parsley, and have ordered a couple of different hardy aristolocheas for the pipevine swallowtail. I just need a sassafras tree now for the palamedes.

Last year I had tons of the giant swallowtails on the rue, as well. They were fun to watch. I had tersa moth cats on my red pentas. They loved it, and they are really cute.

It just breaks my heart that we don't have as many this year. And we had a pretty cool summer last year. I hope I get hawk moth cats on my datura this year. I only had one last year, and he was parasitized.

Susan

Some that we normally see here include: Mourning Cloak, Red Admiral, Buckeye, many Sulfurs, Tiger Swallowtail, many Painted Lady, Viceroy. EP

Thanks for the link, EP. I don't know the names of all the butterflies I see. We too, have not had as many butterflies this year as in the past. The year started out great in March, with us seeing many. But as the summer progressed, we've not had as many as usual. Maybe now that we had a good rain, more will come.

I have dozens if not hundreds of maypops (passiflora 'Incarnata') growing wild in my pasture. We always have fritillaries on them. Often times I move the caterpillars off my hybrid passionflowers to the wild ones to prevent them from eating all the foliage on my "special" ones. I always grow dill for what I believe are the swallowtail caterpillars. We also have butterfly bushes and wild growing butterfly weed which are covered in butterflies. I'm trying to grow more flowers to invite butterflies (and hummingbirds) into my gardens.

Susan, I'm thrilled that you got the Thailand Giant colocasia. Congrats!

I've seen hardly ANY butterflies in my yard. I have rue, lots of milkweed, and bronze fennel (which is HUGE right now) planted and got a few Monarchs, but that's it. I also planted cilantro and parsley for the butterflies - none there, either. Usually the rue and the fennel have Swallowtail caterpillars on them by now - but none this year. I wonder why?

I have seen reports of fewer butterflies on some of the other forums. GW gives us a broader outlook of what could be going on in nature. Normally we have swarms of butterflies in July but have seen very few so far. EP

i have seen much fewer this year than in the previous 7 or 8 years that i've been interested in them. i'm not sure what's up with that.

Me neither! But, I need to go out and cut my fennel (perennial) down. My lawn boy sprayed it and my pines (located on either side of the fennel) with wasp spray when he was here Thursday last. I guess it doesn't matter, because the wasps were probably going to dine on the cats anyway. But, I try to rescue them and put them somewhere else and feed them fennel flowers. I have one pupating on my ornamental grass right now. I need to bring him/her up to the porch so when he/she emerges, she will not immediately be attacked by wasps.

I am getting ready to plant my new aristolocheas, butterfly bush, lantana, and another Tecoma (esperanza) that I picked up. Surely with all this hot weather we will soon see more of our winged (and crawling) friends.

Susan

Well, still no butterflies around. I come home every night and check my rue, perennial fennel (giant), and bronze fennel, and parsley, and no eggs or babies yet. Tomato Hornworm - are you out there? Have you seen much yet on your side of the fence?

My datura is up and growing and I keep checking it for hawk moth cats.

Susan