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Our
Butterfly Patch
This is a photo of our butterfly area in St Mark's.We planted this patch with a variety of plants to attact butterflies. It has been a great success. We have had many different types of butteflies coming to the flowers there and we have been able to observe many of them. Some classes have been able to grow butterflies from the eggs they found in the school and reared to the stage of full grown butterflies and we were able to release them when fully grown. The two species we have been successful with are the Small White and the Painted Lady.
The large bush to the right is called a Buddleia. There are other plants here as well.
They are in two groups
(a) feeding plants
(b) nesting plants
Each type of butterfly has its own favourite foods. The Cabbage White butterfly is a name given to SMALL WHITE. Can you guess the reason why they are called Cabbage White?
Cabbage Nasturtium
Stinging
Nettle Common Sorrel
Bird's Foot
Trefoil Buddleia
Meadow Grass
Thistle
Sweet Rocket
Honesty
Phlox
Clover
Michaelmas
Daisy Yellow Vetch
Species Large White,
Small White Large White,
Small White Small
Tortoiseshell, the Peacock, Red Admiral and the
Painted Lady Small
Copper Common
Blue Small
Tortoiseshell, Peacock and many other
species. Wall
Brown Painted
Lady Small
tortoiseshell and many other species many
species many
species many
species Wood
White Small
Copper
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This class has brought classroom reared butterflies out to the garden to release them. At first we had five small eggs which were found on the leaves of a thistle. After a short time in our butterfly box the eggs turned into caterpillars or larvae.The caterpillars crawled to the underside of the leaves and spun a web over themselves and ate the leaves. Whe ready the caterpillars turned into pupae which means they covered themselves in silk thread and hung from the leaf. After some more days the new butterflies emerged from the pupae and began to fly around the box. We brought them out. When their wings dried in the sun they flew away. |
Elsewhere in the school area we have many young oak trees which we planted and these can be food for some butterflies
Oak Leaves --------->Purple Hairstreak
Common Sorrel ---->Small Copper
Stinging Nettle ---> Peacock (April, May), Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell
Cabbage ------------>Small White
Thistle -------------> Painted Lady
Brick Wall ---------->Large White (pupae)
We will keep searching in our butterfly patch for eggs and will watch them grow. You too can have one in your school. It only needs a small corner but it is worth the effort.
Hint. If you want to observe butterflies eating or resting do not let your shadow fall over them. We can observe from behind a window which does not disturb them As well we visit the patch for a closer look. It's great!
Other places you might visit to find out about butterfly gardens
SCIENCE WONDERS AND MYSTERIES Amazing Insect Project http://www.minnetonka.k 1 2.mn.us/groveland/insect.proj/insects.html BugWatch http://bug~vatch.com/bug~vatch html Butterfly Web Site http://isit.com/butterny
C. R. Hanna Elementary School - Butterfly Garden http://web.isbe.state.il.us/mwhitmor/crhanna/ourbutterflygarden.html