Flutter By, Butterfly
Angie Hong
Stillwater, MN - October 29, 2009
It seems almost obscene to talk about butterflies at a time of year when, short of a winter vacation in the tropics, most of us have no hope of seeing one of these fluttering beauties for the next six months. If you’ve been out walking or biking though, on one of the rare days this fall when it wasn’t raining, sleeting, snowing or just plain freezing, you may have noticed a tiny parade of furry, orange and black caterpillars moving slowly across local roads and trails. As strange as it may seem for these woolly bears to be wiggling along in October and November, they’re actually right on schedule. They’ll continue nibbling on plants found in roadsides, pastures and uncultivated fields until they eventually go into hibernation. In the spring, they’ll spin their cocoons and emerge as Isabella tiger moths.
Perhaps it’s more appropriate to discuss bats at this time of year. As I write, Halloween is just around the corner, and by the time you read this we’ll all be ten pounds heavier and a little bit ill from too many peanut butter cups, licorice twists and “black and orange” candies. There are seven species of bats in Minnesota and all of them are insectivores, meaning they feast on mosquitoes, moths and other insects. Ironically, you’re not likely to see a Minnesota bat near Halloween because they all hibernate or fly south for the winter. Unlike their northern cousins, many bats in the southwestern United States are herbivores that feed on agave and cactus.
As different as butterflies, moths, bats, bees, beetles, flies and hummingbirds may be from one another, they can all act as pollinators for trees and shrubs, perennial flowers and agricultural crops. By most estimates, one third of human food crops and 90% of all flowering plants need animal pollinators to reproduce. In the U. S., domestic honeybees alone pollinate approximately $10 billion worth of crops each year. Yet, both native and domesticated bee populations are plummeting and many species of butterflies and bats are in danger as well. In response, the Pollinator Partnership has recently developed 31 Ecoregional Planting Guides (www.pollinator.org/guides.htm) to help people across the U.S. select trees and native plants for their yards that will provide food and habitat for pollinators.
Happily, many of the pollinator-friendly plants and trees recommended for the Eastern Broadleaf Forest region, which covers the Twin Cities metro area and western Wisconsin, also promote clean water and provide food and habitat for birds. Maples and basswoods attract bees but also have large canopies that can intercept up to 1600 gallons of rainwater per year, thereby reducing stormwater pollution in developed areas. Joe-pye-weed, sneezeweed, blazing star and aster, which attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, are all commonly used in raingardens. Similarly, native shrubs like black chokeberry, service berry, dogwood and elderberry appeal to pollinating bees, beetles, flies and butterflies, as well as being good replacements for buckthorn in your backyard woods and producing berries that attract birds.
Not all pollinators are found everywhere in the U.S., and some, like bats, are more important in different parts of the country than in Minnesota. By incorporating native trees, shrubs, vines and flowers that support pollinators into our existing landscaping, we’ll often find that we gain multiple benefits. As with garden store varieties, different species of native plants bloom at different times of year, allowing us to create colorful, year-round gardens. Native plants often have deeper roots than cultivars, making them ideal for erosion control and for helping rain and melting snow to soak into the ground. Trees increase property values, provide shade and shelter from the wind and improve air quality.
According to superstition, the amount of black on a woolly bear foretells the severity of the upcoming winter. I’ve yet to draw any conclusions from my recent caterpillar encounters, but seeing these furry buggers reminds me that warmer weather will return again eventually. Meanwhile, I’m dreaming of butterflies and bats and contemplating a Costa Rican vacation.
Angie Hong is an educator with the East Metro Water Resource Education Program, representing Brown’s Creek, Comfort Lake – Forest Lake, Middle St. Croix, Ramsey Washington, Rice Creek, South Washington and Valley Branch Watersheds, Cottage Grove, Dellwood, Forest Lake, Lake Elmo, Stillwater, Willernie, West Lakeland, Washington County and the Washington Conservation District.
Posted: October 29, 2009