Common Checkered Skipper and Mallows

Common Checkered Skippers have many hostplants, all mallows. The one pictured here is a common weed Malva parviflora. They also use Malva neglecta and hollyhocks. They are very cagey about how they use the plant. Whereas Ladies create a web encrusted in frass on the surface of the leaf ( which makes them obvious but unappetizing) the Checkered Skipper folds back a section of the leaf and sews the fold closed. You would never notice the section was missing! They are completely hidden! Clever!

Anise Swallowtail and Fennel

I have raised too many Anise Swallowtails to count. They are easy to find and easy to raise. The problem is the overwintering. They overwinter as a chrysalis. And sometimes for more than one winter. I had one that finally emerged 7 years later. Wow! Supposedly it is so they spread out their emergence, so at least some of them become adults when there is plenty of rain and plenty of host plant.

Their most common hostplant in urban environments is fennel. It was imported by the missionaries as a food plant, and it is edible. Before they showed up, Anise Swallowtails used Perideridia and Lomation. Also poison hemlock and cow parsnip. But their native host plants were eliminated, and they learned to use fennel. Clever!

Nasturtiums and Cabbage Whites

Nasturtiums are one of the host plants for Cabbage Whites. Of course, Cabbage Whites also use cabbages and other plants in the cabbage family. But nasturtiums are everywhere and commonly used.

Cabbage Whites are not the charismatic butterfly. They are so plain in coloration, that people think they are moths. But, like most day-flying lepidoptera, they are butterflies. And they are not native. They were brought to this country from Europe, probably as eggs and larvae on cabbages.

However, I love them. Partly because they are so easy to rear. And partly because they are common across the USA. You can attract them almost anywhere. Put a pot of nasturtiums on your balcony in the middle of a big city, and you will probably get cabbage whites. The caterpillars are so well camouflaged, it is almost impossible to find them on leaves. I find it easier to look for the eggs, since the white eggs contrast nicely with the green leaves.

So even if Cabbage Whites are not the most beautiful or the most loved, they do have their positive qualities.

Holly-Leaf Cherry and Pale Swallowtails

Pale Swallowtails lay eggs on several different plants, including ash trees and coffee berry. But holly-leaf cherry is an especial favorite of mine, partly because I have actually gotten eggs on my small tree, and was able to raise them. And partly because it is simple a great plant.

There are two very closely related species, Prunus illicifolia and Prunus lyonii. Or maybe one is a subspecies of the other. One has redder fruits, and the other blacker fruits. And I think it makes little difference. The butterflies like them both, and they have similar habits. They both make fabulous evergreen hedges or small trees. In fact, I think they are great substitutes for a Eugenia hedge, which tends to get bubbly leaves from psyllids. Eugenia gets to be about 20' high, and Prunus about 30', but they can both be kept lower.

Pale Swallowtails are not the most common swallowtail around. Perhaps that is because their host plants are not planted that frequently. Perhaps if if you plant Prunus, they will come.

Ceanothus and California Tortoiseshell

The California Tortoiseshell lays its eggs on Ceanothus. But only special kinds of Ceanothus. It likes the varieties with large leaves, like the one pictured here. I guess the smaller leaves don't offer enough foliage to eat. 

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The California Tortoiseshell has an interesting migration pattern. It likes to lay eggs on blooming Ceanothus. So, I see the adults in Berkeley in about March. But by the time the next generation emerges as adults, the ceanothus in Berkeley is generally done blooming, so the butterflies migrate east or north, looking for fresh blooms. The generations continue to higher elevations and higher latitudes, but return to Berkeley for the Ceanothus that blooms in the subsequent March.

Ceanothus is also the host plant for the Ceanothus Silk Moth, a large and beautiful moth. Although it is called the Ceanothus Silk Moth, it lays its eggs on a wide range of plants, including willow, ribes, and manzanita. It is largely a west coast species, ranging from Baja Mexico to California, Oregon, Washington, and into Canada. The adults do not feeds. I guess they put all their energy into reproduction.

White Clover

White Clover (aka Trifolium repens) is a common lawn weed in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some people don't like it in their lawn because it can attract bees. Then, if you walk barefoot in the lawn, you can get stung. However, it is hardy, doesn't seem to need much mowing, and adds nitrogen to the soil. So, as with any plant, there are pros and cons.

However, I think it is a great plant to have because it is a host plant for Orange Sulphur butterflies. I rarely see them in flatlands Berkeley, but they are in the area, so I do recommend adding white clover to your lawn or butterfly meadow.

Kenilworth Ivy

People are always concerned when I talk about Kenilworth Ivy. They think it will overtake their garden, like ivy. But it really isn't like ivy at all. Kenilworth ivy is small, delicate, and likes shade. It is also a host plant for Buckeye butterflies. It loves growing in the cracks of steps and walls. And it is absolutely charming!

The Latin name is Cymbalaria muralis. I guess the leaves are supposed to look like cymbals. Must be some kind of cymbal that I have never seen!