Duke Forest butterflies

   
Duke Forest butterflies >> Life cycles and habitats

Adult female butterflies seek out specific host plants on which to lay their eggs. Some species of butterflies will lay eggs on many kinds of plants, while other butterflies require one certain plant species. The caterpillars (larvae) hatch from the eggs, feed on the host plant, and eventually form chrysalises (pupae). Inside the chrysalis, a caterpillar metamorphoses (pupates) into an adult butterfly. The butterfly then emerges and seeks mates, food and host plants to continue the cycle.

Host Plants in Duke Forest

Many different kinds of plants in the Duke Forest are used as host plants, including oak and hickory trees (hairstreaks, duskywings), hackberry trees (emperors, snouts, anglewings), milkweeds (Monarch), violets (fritillaries), and various grasses and sedges (browns, pearly-eyes, satyrs, many species of skippers).

Nectar Plants in Duke Forest

While many species of butterflies breed in the Duke Forest, others simply pass through in search of flower nectar or other resources. Here are some examples of flowers that are good nectar sources for butterflies in the Duke Forest:

Spring

• Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• Blackberries (Rubus spp.)

Summer

• Elephant's-foot (Elephantopus spp.)
• Dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
• Mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)
• Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)

Fall

• Asters (Aster spp.)
• Blazing-stars (Liatris spp.)
• Sneezeweeds (Helenium spp.)
• Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)

	Power lines like this one (accessed from Gates 44 and 45 in the Korstian Division) are good places to look for butterflies.
	When nectar sources are few and far between in the springtime, butterflies can sometimes be found nectaring on daisies (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum).
	Check out patches of Coreopsis for nectaring butterflies in the spring. Here's a Silvery Checkerspot nectaring on Coreopsis along a wide trail in the Hillsboro Division.
	A harbinger of spring, Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a common tree along the edges of much of the Duke Forest, such as this stand in the Blackwood Division.
	Scan Eastern Redbud flowers in the springtime for swallowtails, azures, elfins and other hairstreaks, and duskywings.
	The edges of regenerating clearcuts can be good butterflying. In the spring, scan the blackberry flowers for nectaring butterflies. In the summer & fall, inspect the edges for various flowers attracting butterflies. This regenerating pine stand is in the Korstian Division, accessed from Gate 23.
	Another power line worth exploring is this one in the Korstian Division, accessed from Gates 23 and 24. Mountain-Mints (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) (see below) are great nectar plants for butterflies and are often found under power lines in the summer.
	Mountain-Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) attracts many species of butterflies such as this Southern Cloudywing.
	Mountain-Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium) -- close-up of the inflorescence.
	Walking wide roads and trails with sunlit patches through deciduous woods is a good way to find butterflies such as Eastern Comma, Question Mark, and Mourning Cloak. Swallowtails often cruise down the roads, and azures, Red-spotted Purples and duskywings may be found imbibing minerals on the ground in the sunny patches.
	The mud around the edges of puddles in these roads is often particularly attractive to butterflies. Approach puddles carefully and scan the edges.
	Trails (like this one in the Korstian Division by the Wooden Bridge) winding through grassy vegetation by creeks are good places to look for satyrs, pearly-eyes, and browns. These belong to a group of butterflies that utilize bottomland grasses for their caterpillar host plants and are more often found in dappled shade than other butterflies. In sunny patches along these trails, look for the golden-orange flash of male Zabulon Skippers as they dash out from perches to chase away all intruders, usually returning fairly quickly to the same or a nearby perch.
	Muddy edges along streambanks are also favored areas for leps. Although you cannot see them at this resolution, this picture contains two Summer Azures, an American Snout, 2 Silvery Checkerspots, and a Silver-spotted Skipper. Note also the shrub in the back-right, on the edge of the water. It is the Buttonbush featured in the photo below.
	In the summer, Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is an excellent nectar plant for butterflies. It grows in wet areas like marsh edges, swamp edges and creek edges like this one here on New Hope Creek in the Korstian Division. Note that each of the lower-right flowers is hosting a Silvery Checkerspot.
	This power line right-of-way can be accessed from Gates 10 and 12 in the Durham Division. It is a good place to look for butterflies at all seasons. This photo shows various yellow flowers and purple spires of Blazing Star (Liatris sp.) , which can be a butterfly magnet.
	Large Flower Aster (Aster grandiflorus) blooms in late summer and is good to check for nectaring butterflies. It may also be a host plant to some species of butterflies, such as the Pearl Crescent.