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Butterfly Fun Facts

{and some not-so-fun facts}

  • Home
  • Butterflies
    • Swallowtail Similarities and Differences
      • Spicebush and Palamedes Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillars are Very Similar
      • Black and Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies
    • Flat blue and metallic blue butterflies – male or female?
    • Butterflies A – F
      • American Lady – Vanessa virginiensis
      • Atala Butterfly – Eumaeus atala
      • Blue Morpho Butterfly
      • Blue Buckeye – Junonia coenia
      • Brazilian Skipper Butterfly – Calpodes ethlius
      • Cassius Blue – Leptotes cassius
      • Ceraunus Blue – Hemiargus ceraunus
      • Checkered White Butterfly – Pontia protodice
      • Cofaqui Skipper Butterfly – Megathymus cofaqui
      • Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly – Phoebis sennae
      • Common Buckeye – Junonia coenia
      • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – Papilio glaucus
    • Butterflies G – J
      • Gold Rim Butterfly – Battus polydamas
      • Great Southern White – Ascia monuste
      • Gulf Fritillary – Agraulis vanillae
      • Gray Hairstreak – Strymon melinus
      • Great Purple Hairstreak – Atlides halesus
      • Julia – Dryas iulia
    • Butterflies K – O
      • Little Metalmark – Calephelis virginiensis
      • Long-tailed Skipper – Urbanus proteus
      • Malachite Butterfly Siproeta stelenes
      • Monarch butterfly – Danaus plexippus
    • Butterflies P – S
      • Painted Lady Butterfly – Vanessa cardui
      • Palamedes Swallowtail – Papilio palamedes
      • Pipevine Swallowtail – Battus philenor
      • Queen Butterfly – Danaus gilippus
      • Question Mark – Polygonia interrogationis
      • Red-spotted Purple – Limenitis arthemis
      • Silver Spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus
    • Butterflies T – V
      • Viceroy – Limenitis archippus
    • Butterflies W – Z
      • White Peacock – Anartia jatrophae
      • Zebra Longwing – Heliconius charithonia
  • Moths!
    • Banded Tussock Moth – Halysidota tessellaris
    • Blinded Sphinx Moth – Paonias excaecata
    • Milkweed Tiger Moth (Milkweed Tussock Moth)
  • Raising Butterflies
    • 1 Rearing Butterflies From Eggs
      • Eggs – Hatching Butterfly Eggs
      • Disinfect Butterfly Eggs – Monarch or Any Species
    • 2 Tips to Raising Butterfly Caterpillars Indoors
      • Milkweed Sap In Eyes
      • Molting caterpillars
      • Moving caterpillars …
      • Disinfecting Leaves
      • Reviving a Drowned Caterpillar
      • Caterpillars and pet flea/tick medication
      • Poisoned caterpillars and green fluid
      • Pesticides and caterpillars …
      • Organic vs non-organic
      • Green vomit, diarrhea, and writhing caterpillars
      • Saving poisoned caterpillars
      • Monarch Caterpillars Butternut Squash
      • Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars Eat Pumpkin
      • Freezing Milkweed Leaves for Emergency Use
      • Butterfly Caterpillar Rearing Containers
        • Caterpillar Rearing Box from a Shoe Box
        • Caterpillar Rearing in a Pizza Box
    • 3 Chrysalises, Cocoons, and Pupae
      • Holdfast Tubercles (Monarch)
      • Attaching chrysalises to hooks
      • Breaking Swallowtail Diapause in Chrysalises
      • Butterfly Chrysalis Deformities
      • Dehydrated Butterfly Chrysalises
      • Should I separate Piggy-back Chrysalises?
      • What is wrong with my butterfly chrysalis?
      • Emerging Chrysalides Butterflies
    • 4 Caring for Adult Butterflies
      • Weather and releasing butterflies
      • Breeding Sibling Butterflies – Inbreeding
      • How to feed Gatorade to butterflies
      • How to Feed a Butterfly
      • Euthanizing Dying Butterflies
      • How To Euthanize Crippled Butterflies
      • How are butterflies packed and shipped?
      • How to Safely Transport or Ship Butterflies
  • Gardening
    • Pollinator Gardening
    • Neighbor Uses Pesticide Indiscriminately? What Can You Do?
    • A neonicotinoid tag – What to do about it
    • Plant Pests
      • Eliminate aphids!
      • Eliminate Milkweed Bugs!
  • Milkweed
    • Propagating Tropical Milkweed With Stem Cuttings
    • Aquatic Milkweed – Asclepias perennis
    • Balloon Plant Milkweed – Gomphocarpus physocarpus
    • Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
    • Charlotte’s Blush Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias curassavica Charlotte’s Blush
    • Clasping Milkweed – Asclepias amplexicaulis
    • Common Milkweed – Asclepias syriaca
    • Dogbane
    • Giant Milkweed – Calotropis gigantea
    • Pinewoods or Sandhill Milkweed – Asclepias humistrata
    • Poke Milkweed – Asclepias exaltata
    • Rose Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata
    • Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias curassavica
      • Monarch Butterfly Decline and Tropical Milkweed
    • White Twinevine Milkweed – Funastrum clausum
  • Host Plants
    • Which passion vine species are safe for caterpillars?
    • Passion vine species that are safe for caterpillars
    • Many Trees Are Host Plants for Butterflies (And Moths)
    • Fertilizer and Butterfly Host Plants
    • Host Plants A – F
      • Adam’s Needle – Yucca filamentosa
      • Black Cherry – Prunus serotina
      • Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus species
      • False Foxglove – Agalinis species
      • Firecracker, Weeping – Russelia equisetiformis
    • Host Plants G – J
      • Groundnut – Apios Americana
      • Hackberry Tree – Celtis occidentalis
      • Hercule’s Club Zanthoxylum clava-herculis Butterfly Host Plant for the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
    • Host Plants K – O
    • Host Plants P – S
      • Passion vine species that are safe for caterpillars
      • Pipevine Species for Butterflies
      • Pawpaw Plants – Florida Native
      • Pawpaw Tree – Asimina triloba
      • Rice Button Aster – Symphyotrichum dumosum
      • Sugarberry Tree – Celtis laevigata
    • Host Plants T – V
    • Host Plants W – Z
      • Wisteria – Wisteria sinensis
  • Nectar Plants
    • Nectar Plants General Information
      • Butterflies and Fruit Trees
      • Fall Blooming Nectar Plants
      • Flowering Trees are Nectar Sources for Butterflies
      • Top 10 Butterfly Nectar Plants
      • White Butterfly Nectar Plants
    • Nectar Plants A – F
      • Abelia – Abelia grandiflora
      • Anise Hyssop – Agastache foeniculum
      • Autumn Sage – Salvia greggii
      • BATFACE   Cuphea llavea   Butterfly Nectar Plant
      • Blanket Flower – Gaillardia x grandiflora
      • Bottlebrush – Callistemon rigidus
      • Brazilian Bachelor’s Button – Centratherum intermedium
      • Buttonbush – Cephalanthus occidentalis
      • Cigar Plant – Candy Corn – Cuphea melvillea
      • Coral Honeysuckle – Lonicera sempervirens
      • Cosmos – Cosmos sp.
      • Crepe Myrtle – Lagerstroemia indica
      • Firecracker Plant – Cigar Plant – Cuphea ignea
      • Firecracker, Upright – Russelia sarmentosa
    • Nectar Plants G – J
      • Ironweed – Vernonia gigantea
      • Joe Pye Weed – Eupatorium Sp.
    • Nectar Plants K – O
      • Lemon Marigold – Tagetes lemmonii
      • Mexican Flame Vine – Senecio confusus
      • Morning glory – Ipomoea species
    • Nectar Plants P – S
      • Pentas – Pentas lanceolata
      • Phlox, Annual – Phlox drummondii
      • Scarlet Morning Glory – Ipomoea hederifolia
      • Stoke’s Aster – Stokesia laevis
      • Sweet Almond – Aloysia virgata
    • Nectar Plants T – V
    • Nectar Plants W – Z
  • Disease & OE
    • My butterfly appears healthy
    • Bt Bacillus thuringiensis
    • Monarch Butterfly Diseases
    • Specific Diseases in Caterpillars, Chrysalises, and Adult Monarch Butterflies
    • Abnormally Colored Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars (NOT OE)
    • OE Monarch and Queen – FAQ
    • Disinfecting Caterpillar Cages
    • Black Death is NOT a Disease – What is it?
    • NPV – Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus
    • OE – Ophryocystis elektroscirrha – Monarch Butterfly
      • Why OE is here to stay
      • OE and Chrysalises Pupae – Monarch and Queen – Ophryocystis elektroscirrha
      • OE Monarch and Queen – FAQ
      • Monarch OE Check Without a Microscope
      • This is Not OE
      • Do My Monarch Butterflies Have OE? Ophryocystis elektroscirrha
  • Enemies
    • Predators
    • Parasitoids
      • Braconid Wasps Are Parasitoids of Butterfly and Moth Caterpillars
      • Chalcid Wasps
        • Chalcid wasps in Black Swallowtail butterfly chrysalises
        • Chalcid Wasps and Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars and Chrysalises
      • Euplectrus – Caterpillar Ectoparasitoid
      • Tachinid Flies
      • Trichogramma Wasps
  • Fun Facts
    • Butterfly Proboscis
    • Male Butterfly Nutrients
    • Caterpillars Have Wings?
    • Do butterflies feel pain?
    • Diapause – Where Do Butterflies Go In The Winter?
    • Only 1 or 2 butterfly eggs out of 100 live to become adult butterflies.
    • Why are there fewer butterflies some years?
    • Butterfly Aberrations
  • Monarchs
    • Monarch Butterfly Egg – Danaus plexippus
    • Sexing Monarch Butterflies
    • How to Tag Monarch Butterflies
    • Monarch Chrysalis Light Orientation
    • Monarch Butterfly Decline and Tropical Milkweed
    • Monarch Butterfly Aberrations
      • Monarch Butterfly Aberration With White Scales
      • Yellow OPY Monarch Butterfly Chrysalises – Danaus plexippus
  • About Us
    • Charlotte’s Blush Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias curassavica Charlotte’s Blush
    • Blue Buckeye – Junonia coenia
    • How are butterflies packed and shipped?
    • Monarch Butterflies at Shady Oak
  • Reflections on a Shady Oak Butterfly Farm Internship

Parasitoids

Parasitoids kill butterflies and moths by eating them from the inside out.

Some lay their eggs on or in an egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis.  Others lay eggs on plants. When the parasitoid larvae hatch, they grab onto and enter into a caterpillar that wanders over them.

Braconid Wasp
Chalcid Wasp
Chalcid Wasp in Black Swallowtail Chrysalises
Chalcid Wasps in Monarch Chrysalises
Euplectris in Caterpillars
Tachinid Fly

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PAGES

  • 1 Rearing Butterflies From Eggs
  • 2 Tips to Raising Butterfly Caterpillars Indoors
  • 3 Chrysalises, Cocoons, and Pupae
  • 4 Caring for Adult Butterflies
  • A neonicotinoid tag – What to do about it
  • Abelia – Abelia grandiflora
  • Abnormally Colored Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars (NOT OE)
  • About Us
  • Adam’s Needle – Yucca filamentosa
  • Afflicted Dagger Moth – Acronicta afflicta
  • American Lady Host Plants
  • American Lady – Vanessa virginiensis
  • Angulose prominent – Peridea angulosa
  • Anise Hyssop – Agastache foeniculum
  • Aquatic Milkweed – Asclepias perennis
  • Arge Moth – Apantesis arge
  • Atala Butterfly – Eumaeus atala
  • Attaching chrysalises to hooks
  • Autumn Sage – Salvia greggii
  • Backyard Butterfly Exhibit
  • Balloon Plant Milkweed – Gomphocarpus physocarpus
  • Banded Tussock Moth – Halysidota tessellaris
  • Barred Yellow Butterfly – Eurema daira
  • BATFACE   Cuphea llavea   Butterfly Nectar Plant
  • Black and Yellow Swallowtail Butterflies
  • Black Cherry – Prunus serotina
  • Black Death is NOT a Disease – What is it?
  • Black Swallowtail Host Plants
  • Blanket Flower – Gaillardia x grandiflora
  • Blinded Sphinx Moth – Paonias excaecata
  • Blue Buckeye – Junonia coenia
  • Blue Morpho Butterfly
  • Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus species
  • Bottlebrush – Callistemon rigidus
  • Braconid Wasps Are Parasitoids of Butterfly and Moth Caterpillars
  • Brazilian Bachelor’s Button – Centratherum intermedium
  • Brazilian Skipper Butterfly – Calpodes ethlius
  • Breaking Swallowtail Diapause in Chrysalises
  • Breeding Sibling Butterflies – Inbreeding
  • Bt Bacillus thuringiensis
  • Bugs and critters found on milkweed
  • Butterflies
  • Butterflies A – F
  • Butterflies and Fruit Trees
  • Butterflies and Fruit Trees
  • Butterflies G – J
  • Butterflies K – O
  • Butterflies P – S
  • Butterflies T – V
  • Butterflies that host on nettles
  • Butterflies W – Z
  • Butterfly Aberrations
  • Butterfly and Moth Disease Issues
  • Butterfly Bush – Buddleia davidii
  • Butterfly Caterpillar Rearing Containers
  • Butterfly Chrysalis Deformities
  • Butterfly Chrysalis Size Variation
  • Butterfly Garden Plants for the Mid-Atlantic U.S. States
  • Butterfly Gardening in the Northeastern U.S.
  • Butterfly Proboscis
  • Butterfly Weed – Asclepias tuberosa
  • Buttonbush – Cephalanthus occidentalis
  • Cassius Blue – Leptotes cassius
  • Caterpillar Rearing Box from a Shoe Box
  • Caterpillar Rearing in a Pizza Box
  • Caterpillars and pet flea/tick medication
  • Caterpillars Have Wings?
  • Ceraunus Blue – Hemiargus ceraunus
  • Chalcid Wasps
  • Chalcid Wasps and Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars and Chrysalises
  • Chalcid wasps in Black Swallowtail butterfly chrysalises
  • Charlotte’s Blush Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias curassavica Charlotte’s Blush
  • Checkered White Butterfly – Pontia protodice
  • Cigar Plant – Candy Corn – Cuphea melvillea
  • Clasping Milkweed – Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly – Phoebis sennae
  • Cofaqui Skipper Butterfly – Megathymus cofaqui
  • Common Buckeye – Junonia coenia
  • Common Milkweed – Asclepias syriaca
  • Coral Honeysuckle – Lonicera sempervirens
  • Coral Honeysuckle – Lonicera sempervirens
  • Cordyceps Fungus and butterflies/moths
  • Cosmos – Cosmos sp.
  • Crepe Myrtle – Lagerstroemia indica
  • Dehydrated Butterfly Chrysalises
  • Dehydrated Butterfly Chrysalises
  • Diapause – Where Do Butterflies Go In The Winter?
  • Disease & OE
  • Disinfect Butterfly Eggs – Monarch or Any Species
  • Disinfecting Caterpillar Cages
  • Disinfecting Leaves
  • Do butterflies feel pain?
  • Do My Monarch Butterflies Have OE? Ophryocystis elektroscirrha
  • Dogbane
  • Eastern Tiger Swallowtail – Papilio glaucus
  • Eggs – Hatching Butterfly Eggs
  • Eliminate aphids!
  • Eliminate Milkweed Bugs!
  • Emerging Chrysalides Butterflies
  • Enemies
  • Enemies
  • Euplectrus – Caterpillar Ectoparasitoid
  • Euthanizing Dying Butterflies
  • Fall Blooming Nectar Plants
  • False Foxglove – Agalinis species
  • Fertilizer and Butterfly Host Plants
  • Firebush – Hamelia patens
  • Firecracker Plant – Cigar Plant – Cuphea ignea
  • Firecracker Plant – Cigar Plant – Cuphea ignea
  • Firecracker, Upright – Russelia sarmentosa
  • Firecracker, Weeping – Russelia equisetiformis
  • Flowering Trees are Nectar Sources for Butterflies
  • Freezing Milkweed Leaves for Emergency Use
  • Frequently Asked Questions about Butterflies and Moths
  • Fun Facts
  • Gardening
  • Gardening
  • Gardening
  • Giant Milkweed – Calotropis gigantea
  • Giant Swallowtail Host Plants
  • Giant Swallowtail – Papilio cresphontes
  • Goatweed Leafwing Butterfly – Anaea andria
  • Gold Rim Butterfly – Battus polydamas
  • Gray Hairstreak – Strymon melinus
  • Great Purple Hairstreak – Atlides halesus
  • Great Southern White – Ascia monuste
  • Green vomit, diarrhea, and writhing caterpillars
  • Groundnut – Apios Americana
  • Gulf Fritillary – Agraulis vanillae
  • Hackberry Tree – Celtis occidentalis
  • Hand Pair Butterflies
  • Hercule’s Club Zanthoxylum clava-herculis Butterfly Host Plant for the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
  • Holdfast Tubercles (Monarch)
  • Host Plants
  • Host Plants
  • Host Plants A – F
  • Host Plants G – J
  • Host Plants K – O
  • Host Plants P – S
  • Host Plants T – V
  • Host Plants W – Z
  • How are butterflies packed and shipped?
  • How Shady Oak plays a role in butterfly research and conservation
  • How To Euthanize Crippled Butterflies
  • How to Feed a Butterfly
  • How to feed Gatorade to butterflies
  • How to Safely Transport or Ship Butterflies
  • How to Tag Monarch Butterflies
  • Indigo Spires Salvia – Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’
  • Ironweed – Vernonia gigantea
  • Joe Pye Weed – Eupatorium Sp.
  • Julia – Dryas iulia
  • Lemon Marigold – Tagetes lemmonii
  • Little Metalmark – Calephelis virginiensis
  • Long-tailed Skipper – Urbanus proteus
  • Love-in-a-Puff
  • Malachite Butterfly Siproeta stelenes
  • Male Butterfly Nutrients
  • Many Trees Are Host Plants for Butterflies (And Moths)
  • Mexican Flame Vine – Senecio confusus
  • Milkweed
  • Milkweed Sap In Eyes
  • Milkweed Tiger Moth (Milkweed Tussock Moth)
  • Molting caterpillars
  • Monarch Butterflies at Shady Oak
  • Monarch Butterflies at Shady Oak
  • Monarch Butterfly Aberration With White Scales
  • Monarch Butterfly Aberrations
  • Monarch Butterfly Decline and Tropical Milkweed
  • Monarch Butterfly Decline and Tropical Milkweed
  • Monarch Butterfly Diseases
  • Monarch Butterfly Egg – Danaus plexippus
  • Monarch butterfly – Danaus plexippus
  • Monarch Chrysalis Light Orientation
  • Monarch OE Check Without a Microscope
  • Monarchs
  • Morning glory – Ipomoea species
  • Moths
  • Moths!
  • Moving caterpillars …
  • My butterfly appears healthy
  • Nectar Plants
  • Nectar Plants A – F
  • Nectar Plants G – J
  • Nectar Plants General Information
  • Nectar Plants K – O
  • Nectar Plants P – S
  • Nectar Plants T – V
  • Nectar Plants W – Z
  • Neighbor Uses Pesticide Indiscriminately? What Can You Do?
  • NPV – Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus
  • OE and Chrysalises Pupae – Monarch and Queen – Ophryocystis elektroscirrha
  • OE Monarch and Queen – FAQ
  • OE – Ophryocystis elektroscirrha – Monarch Butterfly
  • Only 1 or 2 butterfly eggs out of 100 live to become adult butterflies.
  • Organic vs non-organic
  • Painted Lady Butterfly – Vanessa cardui
  • Palamedes Swallowtail – Papilio palamedes
  • Parasitoids
  • Parasitoids
  • Passion vine species that are safe for caterpillars
  • Passion Vines
  • Pawpaw Plants – Florida Native
  • Pawpaw Tree – Asimina triloba
  • Pentas – Pentas lanceolata
  • Pesticides and caterpillars …
  • Phlox, Annual – Phlox drummondii
  • Pinewoods or Sandhill Milkweed – Asclepias humistrata
  • Pipevine Species for Butterflies
  • Pipevine Swallowtail vs Polydamas (Gold Rim) Swallowtail
  • Pipevine Swallowtail – Battus philenor
  • Plant Pests
  • Plants for Butterfly Gardens in the Southwestern U.S.
  • Plants for California Butterfly Gardens
  • Poisoned caterpillars and green fluid
  • Poke Milkweed – Asclepias exaltata
  • Pollinator Gardening
  • Predators
  • Propagating Tropical Milkweed With Stem Cuttings
  • Queen Butterfly – Danaus gilippus
  • Question Mark – Polygonia interrogationis
  • Raising Butterflies
  • Raising Butterflies
  • Raising Butterflies
  • Red-spotted Purple – Limenitis arthemis
  • Reviving a Drowned Caterpillar
  • Rice Button Aster – Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • Rocky Mountain Region Butterflies and Their Plants
  • Rose Swamp Milkweed – Asclepias incarnata
  • Saving poisoned caterpillars
  • Scarlet Morning Glory – Ipomoea hederifolia
  • Sexing Monarch Butterflies
  • Shade plants for butterflies
  • Should I separate Piggy-back Chrysalises?
  • Silver Spotted Skipper – Epargyreus clarus
  • Southeastern U.S. Butterflies and Their Plants
  • Specific Diseases in Caterpillars, Chrysalises, and Adult Monarch Butterflies
  • Spicebush and Palamedes Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillars are Very Similar
  • Stoke’s Aster – Stokesia laevis
  • Sugarberry Tree – Celtis laevigata
  • Swallowtail Chrysalises
  • Swallowtail Similarities and Differences
  • Swallowtail Similarities and Differences
  • Sweet Almond – Aloysia virgata
  • Tachinid Flies
  • This is Not OE
  • Top 10 Butterfly Nectar Plants
  • Trichogramma Wasps
  • Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias curassavica
  • Unsafe Caterpillar Food
  • Viceroy – Limenitis archippus
  • Weather and releasing butterflies
  • What happened to my chrysalis?
  • What is wrong with my butterfly chrysalis?
  • Which parasitoid?
  • Which Passion Vine Species are Safe for Butterflies?
  • Which passion vine species are safe for caterpillars?
  • White Butterfly Nectar Plants
  • White Peacock – Anartia jatrophae
  • White Twinevine Milkweed – Funastrum clausum
  • Who laid eggs on my passion vine?
  • Why are there fewer butterflies some years?
  • Why OE is here to stay
  • Wisteria – Wisteria sinensis
  • Yellow OPY Monarch Butterfly Chrysalises – Danaus plexippus
  • Zebra Longwing – Heliconius charithonia
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