I have been raising Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars recently.
My first butterfly, this butterfly was just born today on World Conservation Day.
It spent some time on our flowers. Then as it flew away I saw there was another swallowtail. They flew around each other in a swirl and then flew away together.
Butterflies are an important part of our ecosystem for many reasons.
They are pollinators. They bring more beauty to our environment. They bring inspiration to our lives.
And they are an indicator species. They depend greatly on the environment around them and because they live so closely with their environment they react quickly to changes in the environment.
Human development and landscaping practices have led to a loss of habitat. By planting native plants that serve as food for them in your own landscape (and refraining from the use of chemical pesticides) you help to preserve their species for the future.
The Eastern Black Swallowtail lives in North America mostly East of the Rocky Mountains.
They live around farmlands, open fields, urban landscapes, meadows, and parks.
Their caterpillars eat plants like fennel, dill, Queen Anne’s lace, caraway, water cowbane, celery, wild parsnip, mock Bishop’s weed, and spotted hemlock.
This piece was minted for the #Tezos4Nature event.