Roston Native Butterfly House

Monarchs rely on milkweed to feed their larvae, and they're not the only ones for which milkweed is a host plant (soldiers and queens also use it, for example). But what other species of plants play this vital role for North American butterflies?⁠
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This Pearl Crescent's host species are primarily asters (Symphiotrichum spp.), like the ones seen here. Great-spangled and Regal Fritillaries use violets as host plants, Painted Ladies use thistles (Cirsium spp.) and mallows (Malva spp.), and Eastern Tiger Swallowtails utilize plants in the magnolia (Magnoliaceae) and rose (Rosaceae) families.⁠
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Eastern Commas and Question Marks rely on elms (Ulmus spp.) among other potential host plants, while Viceroys use willows (Salix spp.) or aspens (Populus spp.) as host plants.⁠
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If you're looking to help butterflies near you, consider adding some of these species to your garden or yard. There are countless other butterflies out there that we haven't listed, so do some research on the butterflies you'd like to see more of near you, and get to planting!⁠
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Photo: Erin Huggins/Flickr CC BY 2.0
License and link to the photo in the comments

The Roston Native Butterfly House is starting to really ramp up with things all a’flutter! Here are just a few beautiful observations from 06/03/2026. Plan to visit soon!

We open at 10:00 AM daily and close at dusk, weather permitting. Always free, although donations are appreciated.

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Spring is a good time to talk about the food web -- plants - caterillars - birds. Why do/should plant lovers care? Many lepidoptera (moths/butterflies) are dependent on a particular plant for survival - they can't eat anything else. So - for example - no milkweeds - no monarchs. You can research different butterflies and moths and see what their host plants are. Many songbirds need caterpillars when they are rearing young, as the babies cannot handle anything other than soft food. Plant natives, don't spray, don't get worried if you have caterpillars eating your plants, don't worry if the birds eat some. Some will survive! If you want to download this graphic for your use, please do. Link in comments.

We have paw paw trees growing at Roston Native Butterfly House, and often have zebra swallowtails as well, in all their stages — egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (cocoon), and adult. Plan to visit soon!

It took 20 years for the zebra swallowtails to find our little pawpaw grove, planted in 2006 from a handful of foot-high bareroots. That’s a long time to wait, and yet it’s no time at all.

In the intervening years, our habitat has grown and changed, our livelihoods have changed, our bones and muscles have lost some density and mass. We’ve lost trees and people, and we’ve welcomed new trees and new people.

Through it all, the pawpaws keep growing. About a decade ago, their fruits began feeding opossums, deer, raccoons, and us. Their flowers feed flies and beetles, their main pollinators. And now, their leaves will feed caterpillars of this mama zebra swallowtail who flew past me as I wandered the paths on April 30.

It had been five years to the day since I last held my father’s hand. Death and life, loss and rebirth: it’s what spring is all about, so I was not as surprised by this as I used to be. I was just very grateful.

I watched her for more than an hour as she laid eggs on leaves high and low, way up in the canopy and way down on the smallest suckers. It was the first time I saw something I’d only previously read about. While researching my book Wildscape, I’d come across a study explaining why zebra swallowtails search for leaves close to the ground: They’re hoping to evade high-flying parasitoid wasps who lay eggs in swallowtail caterpillars.

This beautiful mama seemed to be hedging her bets, laying as many eggs in as many places as possible. It’s not unlike planting seeds wherever you can, a good life strategy.

How interesting!

For the first time, scientists are tracking the migration of monarch butterflies across much of North America, actively monitoring individual insects on journeys. It could provide crucial insights into the life cycles of hundreds of flying insects at a time when many are in steep decline. https://nyti.ms/3LOARsE

Meet nature’s own trick-or-treater.
Nature’s Halloween costume at its finest the Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar uses a clever disguise to look like a tiny snake, fooling birds and other predators into keeping their distance. The best disguises, after all, come straight from nature’s imagination.

Read more about my favorite caterpillar in Missouri Conservationist: https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/conservationist/2020-07/big-eyed-beautiful