Invertebrates of Tommy Thompson Park

Butterflies

Butterflies are one of the most visible insects at the Park. Common varieties like the clouded sulphur (Colias philodice) and common wood nymph (Cercyonis pegala), less common varieties such as question mark (Polygonia interrogationis), American painted lady (Vanessa virginiensis) and dun skipper (Euphyes vestries); and rare species such as giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) and fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus) have all been recorded at Tommy Thompson Park. Some species are found only in meadows, like the nodes on the Neck or the wet meadow areas around the Cell One Wetland; while others are found on forest edges, like the edges of the poplar stand on the Baselands; and still others are found in the forests themselves, for example the thickets of Peninsula D. Most butterflies forage for nectar found in grasses and wildflowers, so look for areas with a variety of blooming vegetation. Some butterfly caterpillars require very specific foodplants, like the monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar that can survive on only milkweed, so areas with a diversity of native vegetation can serve as good butterfly nursery areas. In late summer and early autumn visitors can observe hundreds of monarch butterflies congregating, resting and feeding while waiting for favourable winds for their southerly migration toward Mexico. Landforms on the lakeshore, such as the Spit, provide natural staging points during the butterflies’ migration.

Habitat enhancements in the meadow areas along the neck will benefit butterflies by increasing the amount of native host and nectar plants and by creating more sheltered areas.