Lepidopteran Crossword Puzzle
As we wind down our celebration of #PollinatorWeek, we invite you to solve a Lepidopteran Crossword Puzzle. Good luck! Answers will post tonight.
Creating a Monarch Waystation
We cannot approach the end of Pollinator Week without celebrating monarchs. Today’s post discusses their current status and recommends ways that you can help these iconic, but threatened, butterflies. #PollinatorWeek
Nectar and Host Plants for Selected Mid-Atlantic Butterflies and Moths
Today’s #PollinatorWeek post includes a list of nectar and host plants for fifty common Mid-Atlantic lepidopterans. Plants may vary from one lepidopteran to another although some attract multiple species and some feed both adults and caterpillars.
PERENNIAL: Verbena hastata (Blue or Common Vervain)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
Found naturally in meadows, floodplains, and swamps (and sometimes called swamp vervain), this native blooms throughout the summer and into autumn, longer than most other perennials. Historically thought to be a cure for many ailments, it is still used for medicinal purposes today.
Featured Glossary word: Perennial
Gardening to Attract Butterflies and Moths
Today’s #PollinatorWeek post provides gardening tips, including those for patios/balconies, to attract butterflies and moths with the use and arrangement of nectar and host plants. Also, watch a video of a monarch caterpillar eating a milkweed leaf.
Featured Glossary Word: Perennial
perennial: a plant that lives for more than two years or growing seasons
Perennials usually can live from three to hundreds of years, with new growth from a perennating (renewing or persisting) part.