[ApS]

It looks like willow and sycamore are the host-plants for the above Eastern Tiger Swallowtail:
Check out this host-plant chart for our more common butterflies: http://www.thebutterflysite.com/crea...y-garden.shtml

The Message: To encourage a return of butterfly caterpillars, just plant some host-plants—then watch the leaves disappear!

"...Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly's larvae, thistle is one of the host plants for the caterpillars of the American Lady butterfly, stinging nettle hosts the Red Admiral's caterpillars, wild carrot is a host for the larvae of the Black Swallowtail butterfly..."

http://butterflybushes.com/save_the_butterflies.htm

The "Red Admiral"......patriotic in red-white-and-blue.



(I saw very few butterflies over Lake Winnipesaukee last season).

This morning, a friend in Massachusetts advised me of yesterday's temps in the 70's (In the garden—in shorts and sleeveless blouse (!) —and "seeing a yellow butterfly!")

Also, she reported the news that Monarchs suffered a major die-off in Mexico due to winter-temps in the 20°-range. It may be some years before they become common again.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/news/021102.html

"This is our concern with monarchs. If the forest in the overwintering areas is degraded and this degradation leads to higher than normal attrition of the overwintering monarchs and even higher mortality in snow, ice or freezing rain storms, then the time needed for the population to recover after catastrophic mortality will increase.

"Furthermore, if the number of overwintering colonies is reduced due to deforestation, the vulnerability of the population to catastrophic mortality is likely to increase. Biologically this will be the equivalent of putting all the eggs in one basket and sooner or later catastrophic mortality at the remaining colonies could result in a substantial reduction of the population.

"Measures of the mortality of monarchs in forests of differing qualities are needed to determine the relationship of mortality to the integrity of the forest and the most favorable conditions for overwintering monarchs."