TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Each butterfly species comes to Bruce in its chrysalis stage, and he creates an ecosystem for some to go through the entire life cycle in the butterfly house. Because each butterfly requires host- specific plants to lay eggs on and feed from, the Pardues provide these plants for each specific butterfly species. “The black swallowtail only lays its eggs on dill, fennel, or flat-leaf parsley,” said Bruce. “Monarchs are only going to lay their eggs on milkweed.” Not only are butterflies host-specific when laying eggs, but they also only eat the nectar from certain flowers when they come out of the chrysalis stage. Because their in-flight lives are short, butterflies emerge looking for a host plant and a mate. They have about 48 hours of nutrients stored when they hatch, but they know they must reproduce quickly. Butterflies find their mates around the plants where they can lay their eggs. “The butterfly only lays between 50—100 eggs,” explains Bruce. Butterflies are insects, so the air regulates their body temperatures. Most butterflies seek a place to create a chrysalis when temperatures drop. Those Texas native butterflies in The Little Country Greenhouse butterfly habitat do this in early September. The only difference to this is the Monarch butterfly. “The Monarch goes through four generations in one year. The first three generations each live for three weeks. The fourth-generation butterfly is bigger, and they are the only ones we release,” Bruce said. “Their instinct is to head south.” The Pardues started The Little Country Greenhouse butterfly house to add to their business, but more importantly, they wanted to educate others about butterflies and how people can host these beautiful insects in their backyards. They have created a fun environment where people can interact with butterflies. The 300 butterflies they plan to have in the butterfly house by Memorial Day will allow the public to enjoy these creatures up close. “Ours is about teaching and what you can do in your own backyard,” said Bruce. The butterfly tours are held daily from May through September at 10 am, 11 am, and 1 pm-3 pm and should be scheduled in advance. The tour guides, which include
A Few of the Species Living in the Little Country Greenhouse Butterfly Cottage
Buckeyes
Gulf Fritillaries
Monarch
Question Marks
Swallowtail
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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