October 10, 2024, 11:35 am | Read time: 4 minutes
Many butterfly species in Germany are considered endangered. This is because they are finding less and less food in the form of nectar and, above all, plants for their offspring caterpillars to eat. myHOMEBOOK introduces plants caterpillars eat and reveals how they can be integrated into the garden.
Brimstone butterflies, cabbage white butterflies, peacock butterflies, and small Tortoiseshells – these butterflies are still relatively common in our latitudes. However, their populations are also dwindling. Other butterfly species are rarely sighted due to their endangered status. The main reasons for this are agriculture and forestry. This is because the cultivation of wild, overgrown areas also causes plants to disappear, which butterflies need to feed on as adult butterflies and in the caterpillar stage. In addition, pesticides harm the insects and further reduce the population. But why are butterflies so dependent on the right plants?
Overview
Flowering plants and caterpillar food plants for butterflies
Anyone who has ever had a closer look at a butterfly will notice the curled proboscis at the front of the head. The insects unroll this to collect nectar. The shape of the proboscis means that butterflies can only collect nectar and, thus, food from flowers that are suitable for their proboscis. This is why butterflies and moths are dependent on certain plants with suitable floral structures. Examples of this are the summer lilac, also known as the butterfly bush, or thyme, thistles, or phlox. With a wildflower mixture for butterflies, amateur gardeners can create a good food source for butterflies.
However, butterflies do not only feed on nectar. In the caterpillar stage, i.e., before they pupate and emerge as butterflies, the butterfly larvae need suitable food. Depending on the species, the butterflies prefer very different caterpillar food plants. Some species specialize in just one type of plant, while others consume a whole range of plants. If butterfly caterpillars only eat a single plant species, its absence in nature is particularly threatening for them. The caterpillars then no longer have a food source, and the butterfly species can no longer reproduce.
Planting and care tips Goldenrod in the garden – what to know about this bee magnet
In the garden as well Indian balsam is spreading and threatening native species
Insects love it Planting and care tips for the common viper’s bugloss
Caterpillar food plants for the garden
Stinging nettle
Probably the most important caterpillar food plant is the stinging nettle. Nettle butterflies, in particular, fly to the plant and lay their eggs here. After a short time, the caterpillars hatch here and can feed on whole nettles. The nettle butterflies include:
- Peacock butterfly
- Comma
- Small tortoiseshell
- Admiral
- Map
Nettles grow as annuals or perennials and can take over large areas on the edges of forests and fields like shrubs. In gardens, they are usually regarded as weeds and removed. If you leave at least a few stinging nettles in a corner of the garden, butterflies will have a small refuge to rear their caterpillars.
Clover and vetches
Sulfurs and Gossamer-winged butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on clover and vetch species. These include kidney vetch, horn clover, or hop clover, and, in the case of vetches, bird vetch, alfalfa, or variegated crown vetch. A small patch of unmown lawn can provide a good supply of clover for many of the blue and yellow butterfly species, and many vetch species are attractive as flowering plants and also serve as caterpillar food.
Violets
Violets, which also include the field pansy and the fragrant violet, are the main food source for the caterpillars of pearl-bordered butterflies. These include the large pearl-bordered fritillary and the silver-washed fritillary. Violets grow as ground cover under hedges, shrubs, and trees, creating great accents with purple flowers. Field pansies are a wild alternative to the pansies from the garden center that are often used in spring.
Cruciferous plants
Cruciferous plants include nasturtiums, garlic, rocket, and white cabbage, so it is hardly surprising that white butterflies such as the cabbage white butterfly fly to these cruciferous plants. Orange-tip butterflies and the small white are also among the whites. Tubs can easily be planted with nasturtium, which offers edible flowers for the hobby gardener in addition to being food for caterpillars. White cabbage in the vegetable patch may suffer a little from caterpillar feeding, but if there are enough cabbages, there will be enough for both humans and insects.