The sweet almond bush is among the favorite nectar plants for the atala butterfly. These tiny white flowers have an incredible fragrance. The atala butterflies have a short proboscis, according to the University of Florida, which is why they seek out flowers with short corollas.
I dopped off two coontie plants that had new growth on them at The Florida Native Butterfly Society @ The Shell Factory in April, as they have a colony established. Success! The atala butterflies found my plants and laid numerous eggs. On April 29, I brought home those coonties and waited for the baby caterpillars to arrive.
Well today 5 absolutely stunning atala butterflies have emerged.
The atala butterfly, eumaeus atala Poey, a hairstreak, is among the largest and most iridescent in southeastern Florida, according to the University of Florida. At one time this butterfly was thought to be extinct from 1937 to 1959 due to its host plant, coontie, being overharvested for its root by early settlers for its starch production. Although this butterfly is still considered rare, colonies have been established due to the coontie being introduced into gardens and landscapes.
This small hairstreak is found in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties in southeastern Florida with colonies being established north as well. The Florida Native Butterfly Society has done a tremendous amount of work to establish a colony in North Fort Myers. With the help of bringing home atala eggs, the hope is to establish a colony in my garden as well.
The adult’s forewing length can range from under 2 cm to 2.7 cm according to the University of Florida. The outer surface of both the female and male wing has “three curved rows of ultramarine spots,” which are iridescent. The University of Florida said there are two suggested functions of iridescence – defense and mate recognition.
The female has royal blue color on part of the upper surface of the forewing, while the male has bright iridescent Caribbean blue, or teal green.
In September, the Atala butterfly, Eumaeus atala poey, found my garden and left behind some eggs on its host plant, coontie. The exciting part about this is I planted its host plant earlier this year – plant it and they will come!!
This incredibly stunning, largest, iridescent hairstreak in southeastern Florida, was thought to be extinct from 1937 to 1959. The atala butterfly are mostly found in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, but with the help of butterfly enthusiasts’ colonies have begun in other areas of southern Florida, such as Martin, Monroe, Collier and Lee County.
These little beauties are small in size, ranging from 2 cm to 2.7 cm. The University of Florida states that the females have bright iridescent royal blue on the upper surface of the forewing, while the male is iridescent Caribbean blue, or teal green scales on the upper and lower wings.
The eggs, which are laid on the newest growth of its host plant, coontie, can be laid in clusters up to 60 eggs. The University of Florida states that the eggs, through proteins secreted by the female, are glued to the surface of the coontie plant and are clear on the underside.
The eggs hatched on Oct. 6, after being laid on Sept. 28, and the butterflies began emerging on Nov. 7. Quite the cycle for these little beauties. Many of them created their chrysalis right on the coontie plant, while a few crawled up to the top of the mesh enclosure and created it there.
I have quite a few of its favorite nectar plants in the garden, sweet almond bush – which right now unfortunately does not have any fragrant flowers, and the scorpion tail, which is pictured below. Others include native lantana, bloodberry, wild coffee, porterweed, beautyberry, indigoberry, Florida privet, rougeplant, firebush, salvia, Spansh needles, cabbage palm, as well as Dahoon Holly, Blackbead, Florida Fiddlewood, avocado, live oak, wild lime and golden dewdrops.
Here are an abundance of photos from the eggs to the half a dozen we have released into our garden. My daughter and I spotted one in the garden yesterday, which we hope will be a frequent thing as we would love to have a colony in our garden.
Last week when the atala butterfly visited my garden, she left behind quite a few eggs on the new growth of my coontie. Every day I take a walk in the garden to check and see if the caterpillars have arrived. I would think in the next couple of days they will make their grand entrance.
Excitement does not even begin to explain how I’m feeling right now.
Has something ever caught your eye, pulling you outdoors, which only turns into running back inside to grab your camera??
I am a firm believer of, “plant it and they will come,” as time after time it has rung true. So, I planted some coontie and a sweet almond bush to see if I could attract another species, a very special species to the garden.
Well yesterday that was me when I spotted the absolutely stunning atala (Eumaeus atala Poey) butterfly in MY garden for the FIRST time and she left EGGS behind.
According to the University of Florida, the atala is a rare hairstreak butterfly that has highly localized populations in coastal central and south Florida. They have “satiny black wings with an iridescent turquois shimmer.” The University of Florida said this butterfly was thought to be extinct when the coontie (Zamia integrifolia) was overharvested. It was also stated that this species disappeared between 1937 and 1959, but was rediscovered in 1979 by Roger Hammer, a naturalist and author from Key Biscayne, Florida.
To think this special Florida butterfly found my garden because I planted its host plant, the coontie, and one of its favorite nectar plants, the sweet almond bush, leaves me ecstatic. I am eager to watch the lifecycle and research more about this rare beauty.
Here are an assortment of photos of this beauty laying quite a few eggs on my coontie. It was definitely hard to choose a few out of the 80 photographs I took.
