By Amber Prinkey
We have about 200 species of butterflies floating around in Florida and one very rare one is the Atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala) which we see in Southeastern Florida and parts of the Caribbean. Having survived a harrowed past including near extinction due to over-harvesting of their host plant, the Atala has made a comeback.
On September 20th we received a donation of Atala caterpillars which we placed on their host plant, the Coontie (Zamia integrifolia), around our nature center.
While many of them disappeared and probably ended up being lizard food, (despite the fact that they are considered poisonous, who read last week’s Non-native lizard post?) we kept a few and raised them inside to ensure their survival.
They got very dark inside their chrysalises. Did you know they make a sound known as stridulation 10 days after their last “instar” (caterpillar stage of growth) which may coordinate their emergence with other pupates?
Then emerged in all their glory!
Have you ever thought of creating a habitat for butterflies? The University of Florida can tell you how to do it at https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/design/types-of-gardens/butterfly-gardens.html. But if you are just interested in helping our native fluttery friends, avoiding pesticides in your yard is one way you can make a positive difference.
If you don’t live in an area with a lot of butterflies, come to Sawgrass Nature Center where we’ve seen many different species of these beautiful insects. We are open Tuesday through Friday 9-5 and weekends 10-3.