BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR LARVAL FOODPLANTS Photographed and compiled by Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu) Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92717 Butterflies can be attracted to your garden by providing suitable flowers from which they can obtain nectar. Most butterflies can utilize a wide variety of flowers, including those of many cultivated varieties, as nectar sources. However, a more critical need is for the plants that provide food for the larval (caterpillar) stages, and most species will accept only one or a few species of plants at this stage. If a butterfly is found near your area, you can probably attract it and increase its population by planting the correct foodplants for the caterpillars. Although the caterpillars will feed on the leaves of these plants, the damage is usually minor and only temporary. Caterpillars of some species feed on plants that are usually considered weeds, and you can benefit populations of these species by not removing all of the weeds. The following table lists the larval foodplants for most of the butterfly species and a few of the more interesting moths found in Orange County. Many of the listed plants are available from Tree of Life Nursery in San Juan Capistrano. A more extensive discussion of the biology of our local butterflies can be found in Getting into Butterflies by Larry Orsak.

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(Animation by Lisa Konrad)

COMMON NAME GENUS/SPECIES	IMAGE	FLIGHT PERIOD	FOODPLANT	GENUS/SPECIES
Pale swallowtail, Papilio eurymedon		Feb-June	Redberry	Rhamnus crocea
			Calif. coffeeberry	Rhamnus californica
			California lilac	Ceanothus sp.
			Holly-leafed cherry	Prunus ilicifolia
Tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus		Jan-Sept	California sycamore	Platanus racemosa
			Willow	Salix sp.
Anise swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon		Feb-Oct	Non-native: Wild anise	Foeniculum vulgare
			Natives:
			Southern Tauschia	Tauschia arguta
			Woolly-fruited Lomatium	Lomatium dasycarpum
			Common Lomatium	Lomatium utriculatum
			Pacific Oenanthe	Oenanthe sarmentosa
Giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes		Jun, Aug- Sep	Various citrus species, Rue.
Sara orange-tip, Anthocharis sara		Jan-June	Rock cress	Arabis sparsifolia
California dogface, Colias eurydice		Jan-Aug, Oct	False indigo	Amorpha californica
Orange Sulphur butterfly, Colias eurytheme		Feb-Oct	Alfalfa	Medicago sativa
Nicippe yellow, Eurema nicippe		July-Nov	Senna	Cassia tomentosa
Cloudless sulphur, Phoebis sennae		June-Nov	Senna	Cassia tomentosa
Harford's sulphur, Colias alexandra harfordii		Apr-June	Locoweed	Astragalus douglasii
Dainty dwarf sulfur, Nathalis iole		Apr-July, Oct-Nov	Beggar-ticks	Bidens pilosa
Common white, Pieris protodice		Mar-Oct	Mustard	Brassica
Cabbage white, Pieris rapae		Jan-Dec	Mustard	Brassica
Striated queen, Danaus gilippus			Milkweed	Sarcostemma hirtellum
			Milkweed	Sarcostemma cynanchoides
			Milkweed	Asclepias erosa
Monarch, Danaus plexippus			Milkweed	Asclepias spp.
Viceroy, Basilarchia archippus			Willow	Salix sp.
			Cottonwood	Populus sp.
Sylvan wood nymph, Cercyonis sthenele silvestris			Grasses
California ringlet, Coenonympha california			Grasses
			Cottonwood
California sister, Adelpha bredowii			Canyon oak	Quercus chrysolepis
Gabb's checkerspot, Chlosyne gabbii				Corethrogyne filaginifolia
				Haplopappus squarrosus
				Heterotheca grandiflora
Chalcedon checkerspot, Euphydryas chalcedona			Figwort	Scrophularia californica
			Monkey flower	Mimulus aurantiacus
				Penstemon antirrhinoides
Wright's checkerspot, Chlosyne leanira			Indian paintbrush	Castilleja spp.
Quino checkerspot, Euphydryas editha			Plantain	Plantago erecta
West coast lady, Cynthia anabella			Cheeseweed	Malva parviflora
			Nettle	Urtica holosericea
Painted lady, Cynthia cardui			Cheeseweed	Malva parviflora
			Lupin	Lupinus albus
			Thistle	Cirsium spp.
			Dwarf nettle	Urtica urens
			Fiddleneck	Amsinckia spp.
Virginia lady, Cynthia virginiensis			Cudweed	Gnaphalium spp.
			Pussytoes	Antennaria spp.
			Sagebrush	Artemisia spp.
				Anaphalis margaritacea
Lorquin's admiral, Limenitis lorquini			Willow	Salix spp.
Mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa			Willow	Salix spp.
			Chinese elm	Ulmus sp.
Satyr, Polygonia satyrus			Nettle	Urtica holosericea
California Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica			California lilac	Ceanothus spp.
Buckeye, Precis coenia			Plantain	Plantago erecta
			Plantain	Plantago lanceolata
			Monkey flower	Mimulus spp.
			Snapdragon	Antirrhinum sp.
Comstock's fritillary, Speyeria callipe comstocki			Violets	Viola pedunculata Viola quercetorum Viola purpurea
Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta			Nettle	Urtica holosericea
			Baby tears	Soleirolia soleirolii
Gulf fritillary, Agraulis vanillae			Passion-flower vine	Passiflora spp.
Mormon metalmark, Apodemia mormo			Buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum
Wright’s metalmark, Calephelis wrighti			Sweetbush	Bebbia juncea
Dusky metalmark, Calephelis nemesis			Bush Sunflower, Mule Fat	Encelia californica, Baccharis glutinosa
Purple hairstreak, Atlides halesus			Mistletoe	Phoradendron tomentosum
Western pygmy blue, Brephidium exilis			Saltbush	Atriplex sp.
			Goosefoot	Chenopodium sp.
			Tumbleweed	Salsola iberica
Bramble hairstreak, Callophrys dumetorum			Buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum
			Deerweed	Lotus scoparius
Echo blue, Celastrina argiolus			California lilac	Ceanothus spp.
Southern blue, Glaucopsyche lygdamus			Deerweed	Lotus scoparius
Boisduval's hairstreak, Habrodais grunus			Canyon oak	Quercus chrysolepis
Nut-brown hairstreak, Satyrium saepium