What do Butterflies Eat?

by Cailyn
(NH)

What does a black swallowtail butterfly eat? we are raising them in our 2nd grade class and we would like to know what to feed it.

Karen says:
All butterflies feed on flower nectar. Check out their favorite nectar flowers which you could maybe purchase potted from a local nursery. Your other options when raising them inside include: saturate crumpled white paper towels or cotton balls with Gaterade, Juicy Juice or sugar water mixture (10 T. water to 1 T. sugar - boil water and dissolve sugar in it) or watermelon, mashed banana, etc. These are all possibilities to feed butterflies indoors. Hope this helps.

Butterflies are free

I have a beautiful butterfly garden that was a great success last year. I also have 6, 6ft long porch boxes that I plant with annuals. First year I planted impatiens that brought the butterflies but the site gets too much sun and I had to water daily. I am looking for an annual that the guys will like. Thought about pentas or lantanas. Am open to suggestions.

Thank you

Karen says:
I would try zinnias. Butterflies love them!

Check out the Black Swallowtail on the Zinnia photo above :)

Comment from Jacki Rich:
I am from Northern Ohio and have found that the Butterflies here love my Mexican Sunflowers, Butterfly Bushes, Purple Coneflowers,Spice Bush, and my Liatris plants.

Life of a Butterfly

What do butterflies eat?

Karen says:
Butterflies eat nectar from flowers. Check out this information on favorite butterfly food. The caterpillars or larvae eat leaves on host plants. Here is some information on what monarch caterpillars eat and black swallowtail butterflies eat.

Chrysalis and moisture-sprinkler system?

We have several butterfly gardens where we have an automatic sprinkler system - is this good or bad, too much moisture-can it prevent chrysalis' from forming properly and then emerging as a butterfly?

Karen says
The sprinkler system shouldn't be a problem with the chrysalis. First of all, in nature there is rain and dew and moisture in different quantities that is part of normal weather patterns. Second, the caterpillar usually wanders away from the host plant and finds a protected place to pupate.

Also, I bet your flowers and plants are growing well because of adequate moisture ....making for healthy and robust host plants!