ATALA BUTTERFLY
At our first meeting of the season, we had two energetic and knowledgeable butterfly experts join us from Edison Ford Estates this week. And it was great to see our returning members plus some new friends join us. All enjoyed the presentation.
I had no idea there are 200 species of butterflies here in our state! About 170 species are native, and the rest are migratory.
The Atala butterfly was known to be extinct in the 1900s due to loss of habitat and over-harvesting but has made a significant recovery. The population rebounded after its host plant began to be used in landscaping. These are uniquely Floridian species.
The ladies from Edison Ford gave us some Atala caterpillars to place on its host plant, the coontie. These caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of the plant. Hopefully they will survive and our garden will have a new addition!
HUGHES AND KAREN MAXWELL,
HORTICULTURAL SPECIALISTS
The garden is bursting with color, and several of our native butterflies are enjoying the dry and warm days. The best time to see the most butterflies is in the mid-afternoon.
Thank you to all our residents who have donated to help keep this beautiful green space running smoothly. We are approaching our seventh year in operation now. We hope you love it as much as we do! Enjoy!
