The Coastal South
  • Home
  • Latest Posts
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Latest Posts
  • About
  • Contact

Gulf Fritillary (Monarch look-alikes) spotted at Sunbury

2/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
If you’re an outdoors-person or gardener, you may have heard butterflies being referred to as a proverbial “canary in the mine.” For instance, for unknown centuries, the yearly Monarch migration flies down our coast, heading south to survive the winter in warmer climates. However, Monarch & other butterfly populations in the Coastal South have dramatically declined over recent decades. This has been attributed to loss of habitat and increased pesticide use.

How can you help? Plant milkweed!

While a variety of butterflies enjoy milkweed, Monarch butteries are 100% dependent on a this group of plants to support their young. Adult Monarchs can eventually sip nectar from a variety of flowers, but their caterpillars can only eat the leaves of milkweeds.

Best species:
  • Whorled Milkweed
  • Clasping Milkweed
  • Butterfly Weed
  • Red-ring Milkweed

AVOID (considered parasitic):
  • Tropical/Scarlet Milkweed
  • Common Milkweed 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Note

    Posts are a combination of my own research, visits, and conversations, plus various information found around the web. I try to provide sources, but if you have specific questions, feel free to ask!

    Categories

    All
    Alabama Coast
    Florida Coast
    Georgia Coast
    Louisiana Coast
    Mississippi Coast
    North Carolina Coast
    South Carolina Coast
    Texas Coast
    Virginia Coast

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

    RSS Feed

© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.