The Buckeye Butterfly Needs Weeds

Taking a little break is this Buckeye Butterfly. It is called that because the spots on its wings look like the eyes of a buck, a male deer. This is probably a male. Male buckeyes rest on the bare soil waiting for females. The large “eye” spots act as a defense mechanism against predators. The spots almost look like the eyes and nostrils of a larger animal. This might frighten away a bird that otherwise was thinking about eating the Buckeye.

Humans think of Narrowleaf Milkweed as a major weed, but Buckeyes need it to survive. The butterflies lay their eggs on the Milkweed. The eggs hatch and out pop larvae (a bunch of larva). The larvae of the Buckeye eat the milkweed leaves and turn into caterpillars. Then the caterpillars make cocoons. After a while, a new Buckeye Butterfly emerges out of the cocoon.

There is an expression, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” Well, in the case of Narrowleaf Milkweed, one creature's "weed" is another creature's source of survival. When you're walking around town, look for weeds. Take a closer look at the "weed." Are there any holes that have been nibbled out of the leaves? Are there any creatures crawling around on it? Are there any webs or cocoons? Chances are, that "weed" is an insect's home. Coming up in the spring, you will probably see lots of butterflies and ladybugs on weeds.

So, the little Buckeye Butterfly is glad there are still some "weeds" around. It is pretty easy to grow a butterfly garden at school. Ask your teacher how you can do this. Tell your teacher that you would like to get one started. You can read which butterflies like which plants. Pretty soon, you'll have beautiful butterflies flying outside your classroom.

What butterflies have you seen flying around your home?

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