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On a wing and a prayer

September 2008 - Cindy Boykin

Barbara Moore is surely living life. Along with her husband, Mike, Barbara has taken an interest in butterflies, their habitat, and their life’s journey.

The couple’s backyard is dominated by a sparkling blue swimming pool, but every square foot of the perimeter’s landscape and ground cover is dedicated to the sole purpose of attracting living aerial art.

“Some days last year, we would see as many as 20 or 30 butterflies out here,” Barbara said. “There would be 10 or 12 Gulf Fritillarys, a couple of Monarchs, eight or 10 Queens. ...”

All at the same time?

“Oh yeah, easily! In all we had 42 different species last year – and that’s not counting the moths,” she said, adding that her husband is an excellent record keeper. This year the number has been much less. Such is the ebb and flow of nature.

Why do butterflies choose this particular east Plano yard to flit and flirt flower to flower? The answer is more practical than poetic: They see a conducive place to lay their eggs and sustain their life cycle. It’s a planned habitat.

“There are two types of plants,” Barbara explained, “nectar plants – or the food plants – and host plants, where they lay their eggs. Butterflies lay their eggs on specific host plants because that’s what caterpillars eat once they hatch. Caterpillars can only eat from their own host plant.”

Succinctly, she explained: “Colorful nectar plants will attract butterflies to your yard; host plants will keep them there longer.”

Asked which plants are best, Barbara said, “If we were to recommend only one nectar plant, it would have to be Lantana. Most varieties of Lantana can be planted here and do quite well, but the best variety for our area is the Texas native, Lantana Horrida. It uses less water and you can rest assured that it will come back year after year, barring an unusually hard winter.”

For the all-important host plant, they opt for Asclepias curassavica, commonly known as Butterfly Weed. It is actually a milkweed, which carries a negative connotation because it is a weed, but the delicate clusters of little flowers are dainty and attractive. The milkweed provides sustenance for many butterflies. Unfortunately wild-growing milkweeds are vanishing as fields are being turned into residential neighborhoods and commercial developments. Rarely do you find milkweed incorporated into landscapes.

The butterflies of particular interest to the Moores right now are the Monarchs, which are making their long journey southward from Canada to the mountain ranges of central Mexico. By her estimates, based on published research, the migrating Monarchs will travel through Plano between September 29 and October 11, with the peak time being October 7.

So enamored are the Moores with these regal beauties that they have joined thousands of volunteers and students across the continent in a Monarch tagging project. (See page 73.)

Barbara and Mike learn a great deal about butterflies by observing their silent visitors in their yard, but they also gain tremendous knowledge from their participation with the Dallas County Lepidopterists’ Society.

“It’s just a great group of people,” Barbara said warmly. “There is no age limit. We have members ranging in age from 1 to 81. People come with their families ... there are even some teenage boys who are just unbelievable. They’re great at catching butterflies and they are so knowledgeable. One boy has been coming on our trips since he was 4 years old.”

Butterfly trips?

“Oh yeah, we go all over!” Barbara said excitedly. “The LBJ National Grasslands near Decatur is probably our favorite place to go. That’s a neat place to go in the spring.”

During cold months, the group meets indoors, often at the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science (which is the former Dallas Museum of Natural History and The Science Place now combined). Dale Clark, a local butterfly rancher, established the society in 1995 to provide a forum where people can gather to share their interest in butterflies. Visit their Web site at www.dallasbutterflies.com for details.

You can also learn more about butterflies at the Heard Museum in McKinney at a live butterfly exhibit which runs through September 28.

Autumn skies in Plano are bustling! We’ll see hot air balloons participating in the Plano Balloon Festival, then we will enjoy the fleeting company of graceful travelers as they journey toward their ultimate destination.

The butterfly experience

The Monarch Watch. Monarchs are on the move. Their migration from Canada is now underway and people all along their journey are taking note, literally. Over 100,000 students and adults, including Barbara and Mike Moore here in Plano, are involved in tagging Monarchs and reporting their findings to the University of Kansas who founded the Monarch Watch program in 1992.

The tagging process involves catching a Monarch butterfly in a nice, deep net so as not to hurt them, then placing a round information tag on their lower hind wing. At the same time, taggers are asked to record where they caught the butterfly, the date, its sex, and whether it was homegrown or caught in the wild. When the tagged butterflies finally make it to Mexico, researchers and volunteers are able to provide information back to the university.

During the State Fair of Texas, the “Skies of Butterflies” exhibit will have tagging presentations every day at 2 p.m. at the Discovery Gardens. Visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org for details.

Exhibit opens September 13
“Skies of Butterflies” is an exhibit running September 13 – October 24 at the Texas Discovery Gardens in Fair Park. The seasonal Butterfly House will contain hundreds of colorful butterflies like Giant Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Monarchs, Sulphers, Question Marks, and more.

You can walk through a free-standing flight cage and observe the butterflies as they feed on nectar, or check out the emergence box filled with camouflaged chrysalis where caterpillars morph into delicate butterflies.

Admittance is $3 if you go before or after the State Fair of Texas. Hours at that time are 2 - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

During the State Fair (September 26 - October 19), you will pay park admittance and $3. “Skies of Butterflies” will be open every day during the fair, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

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