Finding and Learning about
Collier County’s Butterflies
By: Andee Naccarato, CCPR Volunteer & Interim President of Naples Native Plants
Want a secret for finding butterflies? Go where the native plants are!
Why are butterflies looking for native plants? All butterflies, from majestic Monarchs to tiny Hairstreaks, need native plants to live their healthiest lives.
Our local butterfly species have co-existed with our native plants for countless generations and have come to rely on the specific nutrients and chemistries of our native plants for their survival. This relationship is especially important when it comes to host plants, those plants on which butterflies lay their eggs and their caterpillars chew the leaves. The most popular example of a butterfly-host plant pairing is Monarchs and their reliance on milkweed, but every kind of butterfly has its own special connection with its host plant(s).
Visitors to pollinator gardens or preserved habitats in Collier County’s Parks are likely to see butterflies in action because of the diversity of native plants found there. About 80 species of butterflies live in Collier County, with 28 species sighted so far during surveys in Conner Park, North Collier Regional Park, and Sugden Regional Park. Volunteers counting butterflies pay attention to butterfly wing colors, patterns, and sizes, plus butterfly behaviors and their native plant associations, to help them identify species.
One example of a butterfly species identification aided by knowledge of its native host plant happened last summer in Conner Park. Large, yellow butterflies were observed in the distance near the fringe of mangroves on the northwest side of the Park. Upon closer inspection, a native plant called Coinvine was identified among the mangroves. Coinvine is the known host plant of the Statira Sulphur, so the butterfly count volunteers started wondering if that could be the identity of the large, yellow butterflies rather than the more commonly-seen Cloudless Sulphurs. Once one of these butterflies was photographed laying an egg on the Coinvine, the volunteers confirmed the identification of Statira Sulphur based on this behavior and some subtle wing markings that differentiate it from the other Sulphurs.
Experiencing your first sighting of a new butterfly is always a special moment. People who gather together to count, observe, or simply appreciate butterflies in nature spread excitement and butterfly knowledge among one another. The joy of butterfly watching seems to be growing year by year!
Are you ready to start butterfly watching, but don’t know where to begin? Join Collier County volunteers and other butterfly enthusiasts at Eagle Lakes Community Park on Saturday, May 7th, 9:30am for a casual butterfly walk. Although well-known as a great birding destination, the native plants around the Park’s stormwater ponds also support a variety of butterflies. Sightings from previous visits include Monarch, Queen, Gulf Fritillary, Julia, Zebra Heliconian, and smaller yellows, blues, and skippers.
