Enhancing a habitat for caterpillar success
Photo Sherry Skipper-Spurgeon, www.mymonarchguide.com
Newly hatched first instar caterpillars have much adversity to overcome, if they are to make it to adulthood. Zalucki et al (2001) observed that: "The first bite of neonate (infant) insects may be the most critical moment in their lives, and have extremely important roles in evolutionary development"; newly hatched Monarch caterpillars' first taste of milkweed latex, rich with toxic cardiac glycosides, is traumatic for young larvae, equivalent of a young boy attempting to smoke his first cigar.
Another often fatal catastrophic hazard for young caterpillars is drenching rain, which dislocates them from their host plants. A young, dislodged Monarch caterpillar with only a single, isolated milkweed plant in its neighborhood is unlikely to re-find its host plant, but if dislodged in a cluster or patch of milkweeds, its chances of survival are much greater.
A butterfly garden, unlike a conventional flower garden designed for human pleasure, must be planned to serve butterflies. The egg-laying female butterfly expends considerable effort in selecting a site for depositing her eggs. After searching out a potential host and landing, the female uses her forelegs, mid-legs, and antennae to assess a plant for suitability for a future offspring by tasting sites on the plant with these appendages; preferences vary among individual females. Females are able to detect if another female of its species or of a related species has already deposited eggs nearby; and thus would reduce food available for its offspring.
Crowding also increases the chances of diseases infecting the young caterpillars. However, some species like the Baltimore Checkerspot, lay eggs in clusters of several hundred, and must seek out large patches of its caterpillar hosts. In order to accommodate many species of butterflies in a garden, it is necessary to know the requirements and behavior of potential residents. A simple list of butterflies and their caterpillar hosts is only a starting point.
Another often fatal catastrophic hazard for young caterpillars is drenching rain, which dislocates them from their host plants. A young, dislodged Monarch caterpillar with only a single, isolated milkweed plant in its neighborhood is unlikely to re-find its host plant, but if dislodged in a cluster or patch of milkweeds, its chances of survival are much greater.
A butterfly garden, unlike a conventional flower garden designed for human pleasure, must be planned to serve butterflies. The egg-laying female butterfly expends considerable effort in selecting a site for depositing her eggs. After searching out a potential host and landing, the female uses her forelegs, mid-legs, and antennae to assess a plant for suitability for a future offspring by tasting sites on the plant with these appendages; preferences vary among individual females. Females are able to detect if another female of its species or of a related species has already deposited eggs nearby; and thus would reduce food available for its offspring.
Crowding also increases the chances of diseases infecting the young caterpillars. However, some species like the Baltimore Checkerspot, lay eggs in clusters of several hundred, and must seek out large patches of its caterpillar hosts. In order to accommodate many species of butterflies in a garden, it is necessary to know the requirements and behavior of potential residents. A simple list of butterflies and their caterpillar hosts is only a starting point.