Category Archives: great southern white butterfly

My first

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It was an incredibly successful day in our butterfly house! We had a total of 12 great southern white butterflies emerge, with many more to go. I know I have said this a million times before, but it is incredible to hold a new species, especially when they hang out for a very long time, letting you take a ton of photographs. My daughter even had an opportunity to hold a few at a time.

The great southern white is among the pieridae/whites and sulphur family. The male is white with black forewing apex, while the female is a dirty white to gray with black forewing apex and black forewing cell spot. I have also read that the female become more grayish during the wet season. Their wingspan is about 45-58 mm and can be found in every county in Florida.

Finally done

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As always, it was fascinating to watch the lifecycle of a new species up close and personal in our butterfly house. I am happy to say that our great southern white caterpillars are finally done eating and have all found their final destination to make their chrysalis. They are everywhere inside the butterfly house, some with two or three in a row. I am excited to see them all emerge and flutter away in the garden.

My heart is so happy. Sometimes you have to give yourself credit, so here it goes.

I was surprised with a bouquet of pepperweed today, which absolutely warmed my heart. My daughter found the pepperweed while she was at recess at school and decided to pick it for me because “here, Mom, food for the caterpillars.” The expression on her face was heartwarming. It’s incredible, really, for a 6 year old, to remember what pepperweed looks like among the rest of the grass. This amazing little girl retains so much knowledge.

Almost 3 years ago we began dipping our fingers into the soil planting our first butterfly garden. I have so happy she shares my joy and remembers the names of all the butterfly species, host and nectar plants. The best part – that excitement we share together of this beautiful, rewarding hobby.

So, I think I have finally found a way to regrow the pepperweed after it is picked. I was able to see the seeds when the leaves dried out, which are now in the dirt, hopefully, popping up soon.

The great southern white caterpillar

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Well, I am happy to say these residents of the butterfly house sure have a healthy appetite! Thank goodness the pepperweed is in abundance in the yard, as they are eating more and more as they grow in size.

I have found an easier way, and well affordable too, to keep the plants in water, while keeping the caterpillars away from the water. Take a water bottle, cut a hole in the cap and stick the plant through. My plants stay happy and green for a while before having to restock their source of food. I know when that time comes because the caterpillars scatter all over the butterfly house in search of green leaves.

They have been in the butterfly house since the second week of April. Some of them look as if they might be ready for a chrysalis soon.

Now a regular

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The great southern white caterpillars are slowly growing and multiplying in our butterfly house. They sure do blend with the leaf coloring of the perpperweed, making it rather difficult to get an exact count of how many caterpillars are taking up residence. They lay about 20 eggs in a cluster and there were quite a few clusters.

I have read that the caterpillar will eat for two to four weeks, so they have a ways to go. The chrysalis stage is anywhere from eight to 14 days.

The great part is its host plant grows freely in our yard, and my neighbors yard. There is an abundance everywhere. So I have been experimenting with the peppergrass. I have dug some up and put it in a vase full of water to let it root some more before planting it in the garden.

The butterfly has become a daily visitor of the garden, with its favorite nectar plants being the red penta and an occasional zinnia.

Yippy!

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Yesterday afternoon while walking my dog, a great southern white caught my attention and kept it for a while. I am absolutely ecstatic to share that I found more of its host plant, Virginia peppergrass in the yard and spotted a ton of eggs on its tiny leaves. So, of course, what did I do, dug it up and put the plant in our butterfly house.

The eggs, which are yellow and spindle shaped, are either laid single, or in clusters. I am excited to see what the caterpillars look like, as I have read they have gray bodies with orange and yellow longitudinal bands.