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Ron's Butterfly Habitat Summary 2006                                                                                                          

 Pottstown, PA

 

The 2006 butterfly season was unique in many ways.  Simply, it was the year of the Monarch Butterfly.  On June 6th a female Monarch began laying eggs on our Common Milkweed in our 50 ft. X 50 ft. habitat in the borough of Pottstown, PA.  We were off to a year of munching like we had never seen since beginning the habitat in 1994.  We had over 60 caterpillars and gave away many eggs.  Over the years our eggs were usually eaten by red ants of some kind.  This year the high rainfall kept the ants to a minimum, although I did get to witness two of the creatures efficiently going over a milkweed plant.  Unfortunately, I had to perform a little pest control.  I suppose if I mulched I would not have ants in the Milkweed patches.  This year I decided to try for a second crop of Common Milkweed so I pulled out 55 of the plants in July and a second crop began to grow nicely.  I did this to encourage the Monarchs to lay eggs since the caterpillars like smaller plants with tender leaves.  The Monarchs laid their eggs as I expected but the second crop of plants began to shrivel up on the end of their leaves, and I found a couple of dead caterpillars.  I noticed in the wild the Common Milkweed plants were turning black.  The heavy rainfall may have caused this.  And then, it happened……40 caterpillars were discovered in our residential habitat in the front yard on Butterfly Weed (asclepias tuberosh).  The Monarchs had changed course and selected what is usually their number 3 choice after Common Milkweed and Swamp Milkweed.  We had many Monarchs complete their life cycle in our habitat this year.  We also tagged 100 Monarchs to track their migration to Mexico.  On Labor Day the public was invited for Monarch tagging.  We tagged 26 that day.  During the Monarch migration in September, we were seeing 90-100 Monarchs per day.  By deadheading and cutting back our Butterfly Bushes slightly, in season, we are able to attract many more Monarchs during migration.  If you have nectar in September, you will attract the migrators.  Other key plants are Tithonia and Late Flowering Boneset.  We also held an open house on August 20th, which was attended by 70 people.

 

Swallowtail butterflies were down this year, although butterfly populations, overall, were fabulous this year.  We had one new sighting this year – the White M Hairstreak.  Two separate individuals were seen on Late Flowering Boneset.  Our total number of species is now at 50.  We had a record 36 different species in 2006.

 

One of the highlights of the season was a visit to Harold Lebo’s butterfly open house near Birdsboro, PA on July 13th.  I did not make it out to the Susquehanna River at Marietta, PA or to Fort Indiantown Gap this year, since I was busy looking for land for the Pennsylvania Butterfly Preserve.  I am happy to report the butterfly preserve will be located in Marlborough Township, near Green Lane, PA.  It will be a joint project with the township.  Currently, we are raising money for the initial phase of the preserve.  Our goal is $4,000.  To date, we have $630.  Keep those cards and letter coming!  We have been averaging one donation per day since the fund-raising campaign began about 2 weeks ago.  Two plants that will be featured in the preserve are Late Flowering Boneset and Mountain Mint (Pycanthemum Flexuosum).  Thank you to Jane Viprino from Reading, PA, for giving us the Latin identification for this terrific attractor.  Also, as I look back at important turns in the butterfly world, a special thanks goes to Alice Lang of Mingo Creek,  for introducing me to the Monarch Watch program several years ago.  On to a great butterfly season in 2007.

 

Ron

Ron's Butterfly Sightings Summary
2004 Butterfly Habitat Summary   2005 Butterfly Habitat Summary
2001 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2002 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2003 Butterfly Habitat Summary
1998 Butterfly Habitat Summary 1999 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2000 Butterfly Habitat Summary