Savor the Moment
Do you wonder what happens to the butterflies that you see abundantly in your garden during the warmer months? Where do they go?
One of the most overlooked yet most spectacular fall butterfly migrants is the Cloudless Sulphur. In the Southeast you can see masses of these gorgeous greenish-yellow butterflies. They use the sun to guide them during their travels. They tend to fly lower than the Monarchs so they are easier to spot.
Like most migratory butterflies, the Cloudless Sulphur is heading to a warmer climate for the winter season. In late summer the Cloudless Sulphur begins to head south from as far north as southern Canada. It is a rather leisurely journey since they only travel about 12 miles a day. The males tend to move a little faster because it is thought that the females are conserving valuable energy reserves for egg laying. See my post about one of its host plants, the Partridge Pea to see some photos of the butterfly in the larva stage. Typically they breed in disturbed open areas where they find their host plant which includes several varieties of plants in the pea family. See Red House Garden's post here for an excellent example of this habitat.
The Cloudless Sulphur has a rather long proboscis (see photo below) and can therefore reach the nectar of many tubular blooms that are inaccessible to many other butterflies.
They are particularly fond of the color red. I took these photos in a friend's garden. Her red salvia was covered in happy Cloudless Sulphur butterflies.
A lot of
attention is given to the Monarch butterflies at this time of
year as they are migrating to Mexico but there are many other butterflies that
migrate including the Red Admiral, Common Buckeye, American Lady,
Long-tailed Skipper and the Cloudless Sulphur. Take a moment and enjoy
these beauties before they
leave your garden on their perilous journey to their winter homes and
plan now to add some more nectar sources and host plants to your garden for their spring & fall
migrations next year. Some great fall blooming plants that serve as nectar sources for migratory and resident butterflies
include asters, swamp sunflower, zinnia, goldenrod and blazing
star.
One of the most overlooked yet most spectacular fall butterfly migrants is the Cloudless Sulphur. In the Southeast you can see masses of these gorgeous greenish-yellow butterflies. They use the sun to guide them during their travels. They tend to fly lower than the Monarchs so they are easier to spot.
Like most migratory butterflies, the Cloudless Sulphur is heading to a warmer climate for the winter season. In late summer the Cloudless Sulphur begins to head south from as far north as southern Canada. It is a rather leisurely journey since they only travel about 12 miles a day. The males tend to move a little faster because it is thought that the females are conserving valuable energy reserves for egg laying. See my post about one of its host plants, the Partridge Pea to see some photos of the butterfly in the larva stage. Typically they breed in disturbed open areas where they find their host plant which includes several varieties of plants in the pea family. See Red House Garden's post here for an excellent example of this habitat.
The Cloudless Sulphur has a rather long proboscis (see photo below) and can therefore reach the nectar of many tubular blooms that are inaccessible to many other butterflies.
Other great Cloudless Sulphur magnets with red blooms are Turk's Cap and Pineapple Sage.
They also really seem to be drawn to the Encore Azaleas in my garden.
Fun Fact: The Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae (Linnaeus) got its genus name from Phoebe, one of the original Titans. In Greek Mythology Phoebe means radiant and bright. Sennae is derived from the genus Senna, the host plant that the larval feed on.
The butterflies I see in our backyard now will be leaving soon to migrate further south. During these sunny fall days I am savoring every moment with these fluttering beauties.
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On another note...today is the 3rd anniversary of Southern Meadows and 259th post! Wow!! I can't believe how the time has flown. Big hugs to all my readers for your support over these adventurous three years. Your comments and thoughts are cherished and I treasure all the friendships I have made. I look forward to growing our gardens, talents, and friendships even more. xo!
