Swallowtail Butterfly at Hollow Park

Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio multicaudata) sipping nectar at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo. A "happy"hollow indeed and full of surprises for all the family members.

 If you want to lure some of these beautiful critters to your yard you better read this article. http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blog/attracting-swallowtail-butterflies-to-your-yard/ 

 It seems that, although, they sip nectar form many plants they prefer what it's called ‘larval host plants’–butterflies deposit their eggs on the leaves of these host plants so that they provide food to the future caterpillar.

 Host plants for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail include the following: wild cherry (Prunus), sweetbay (Magnolia), basswood (Tilia), tulip tree (Liriodendron), birch (Betula) tree, ash (Fraxinus) tree, cottonwood (Populus) tree, mountain ash (Sorbus) tree, and willow (Salix).

 Western Tiger Swallowtails use the following for host plants: cottonwood (Populus) tree, aspen (Populus) tree, willows (Salix), wild cherry (Prunus), and ash (Fraxinus) tree. 

Host plants for Two-tailed Swallowtails include ash (Fraxinus) trees, hop tree (Ptelea), and chokecherry (Prunus).