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Backyard Butterfies

Backyards

Butterflies

Butterflies are beautiful additions to any backyard. Butterflies are insects with a four-stage development: egg – larva – pupa – adult. There are about 20,000 species worldwide and over 700 in North America. Some examples of the types of butterflies include swallowtails, fritillaries, skippers, and sulphurs.

• Attracting Butterflies to Your Yard (FNR-248W)

Attracting butterflies to your yard is easy but involves a little bit more than planting a few flowers in the garden, although that is certainly beneficial. Just like any wildlife species, you need to provide food, cover, and water in the proper amounts and arrangement. Wildflowers are a valuable habitat component for butterflies, but trees and shrubs are important too. Good butterfly habitat will have an interspersion of trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, and grasses that provide food and cover throughout the entire life cycle of butterflies. By doing this and following some basic tips, you will be well on your way to making your yard a butterfly paradise.

Butterfly Links

• Butterfly Gardens
  Minnesota DNR Web site with information on garden design and species selection. Note that some plants listed here may not be appropriate for Indiana.
• North American Butterfly Association
  Web site with specific information by region on butterflies and how to attract them to your yard.