Writer: Diane Bowen, (979) 845-7763,d-bowen@tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION Texas is home to more than 400 species of butterflies, but most of us can’t tell a fritillary from a hairstreak. To help Texans identify some of their most beautiful insect neighbors, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service has produced a full-color identification wheel featuring the Lone Star State’s 16 most common butterflies.
“Butterflies of Texas” includes photographs of both the caterpillar and the adult butterfly of each of the 16 species featured. To help people attract more butterflies to their lawns and gardens, the wheel lists host plants for the caterpillars as well as flowers that attract the adults. The wheel also offers interesting facts about butterflies, skippers and moths and names the 12 Texas butterfly families and the number of species in each that call our state home.
The species pictured are the alfalfa butterfly, American painted lady, black swallowtail, buckeye, cabbage butterfly, common wood nymph, giant swallowtail, gray hairstreak, gulf fritillary, monarch, pipevine swallowtail, question mark, red admiral, snout butterfly, viceroy and zebra. Spinning the wheel reveals a picture of each butterfly in its caterpillar stage.
“Butterflies of Texas” sells for $10.95. To order a copy, send a check or money order payable to Texas Agricultural Extension Service to: Distribution and Supply, P.O. Box 1209, Bryan, Texas 77806. Specify publication L-5308, “Butterflies of Texas.”
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