A Colorful Garden … all Day and all Night

thumbs_colorful-garden-matthew-kritzer-1Butterflies give color to our gardens in the morning.  All shades are possible among the more than 10,000 species found in Costa Rica.  Even at night, they can surprise us too; we just need a good torch light to admire their beauty.  The butterflies are called Lepidoptera by scientists, as their wings (pteros) are covered with scales (Lepidus), which provide them with a palette of colors. All butterflies have a complex life cycle called metamorphosis.  They are born from an egg, which is deposited in a host plant.  The mother butterfly chooses the plant carefully, making sure she picks the one the small larvae will like when they emerge from their eggs.  Butterfly larvae have strong jaws, so they can feed on leaves, stems, flowers, fruits, larvae, and even fungi.

They are also, prey to many species of birds, amphibians, bats, reptiles, including some mammals.  Therefore, many larvae die, others die after the death of its host plant.  Chemicals used to burn “weeds” end up killing many of these larvae.  When the larva has passed through several stages of growth, it produces what is called the cocoon.  On day butterflies, it is very common to see a caterpillar hanging upside down, scuffing off its skin, and beginning to build a hard structure covering its body, easily confused with a dead leaf or a stick.

cocoon-39353_6401The duration of the pupa stage is very variable, depending on the butterfly.  Some flies, take advantage of this moment laying their eggs in the cocoon and parasite.  Therefore, instead of a butterfly emerging after several days, there might be many baby flies!  The adult butterfly has no jaws to eat, but a long proboscis, which is like a coiled straw, allowing her to feed on fluids only.  Many butterflies feed on nectar and pollinate our plants at the same time.  If you have flowers in your garden that produce nectar, such as the cat’s tail (Stachytarpheta mutabilis), or the Five Negritos (Lantana urticifolia), butterflies may be very much attracted to your garden.  They approach juicy, ripe, and, fermented fruit, because they can only feed on liquids.  If you want to design your garden to attract butterflies, remember two basic items: host plants (for larvae) and nectar plants (for adults).

Colorful Garden - Photo Matthew Kritzer

Colorful Garden – Photo Matthew Kritzer

In Five Senses Rural Club Uvita, we offer butterfly courses and workshops for children, adults, and families.  We work with:”Flor de Bahía” School, on environmental and educational projects that involve butterflies.  We also recommend that you visit the beautiful Playa Tortuga Butterfly Reserve in Ojochal.  Also, if you want to continue enjoying these flying splashes of color, keep in mind that the use of pesticides and herbicides can kill hundreds of butterflies in “just a minute!”

INFO:  The publisher’s digital books Inbio: “Guide for butterfly host plants” by German Vega and “Plants that attract butterflies” by Armando Soto and Germán Vega.

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