Introduction

The state of Texas encompasses numerous and varied natural land regions—some of the most diverse in North America. In its wide expanse of almost 270,000 square miles of land, many climatic zones, geologic provinces, and botanical realms come together, creating especially rich and interesting biotic communities. Forming the southern end of a grassland system extending from Canada, the high, arid plains of the Panhandle continue southward into the undulating hills of Central Texas, through the sparsely vegetated chaparral brushlands, and on into the semitropical Rio Grande Valley—a distance of more than 800 miles. Along the southern coastline, fertile swamps and marshes reach inland from the dune-bordered edges of the Gulf of Mexico. Lush, humid forest lands of the eastern region of the state slowly give way to the rich farmland and prairies to the west, the deep valleys and jagged hills of the Edwards Plateau, and on to the semideserts and tall, time-worn mountains of the far west, which are surrounded by true desert.

Such an incredible diversity of habitats provides an equally astonishing number of species of plants, animals, and insects within the state’s boundaries, and in North America, Texas has no equal in regard to the number of butterflies, for it leads all other states with more than 450 species and/or subspecies.

Butterflies are complicated creatures, and it is sheer folly to make definitive, irrevocable statements about the lives of certain species. Little is known about many species, and much study must be done before any hypotheses can be ventured as to their life cycles or habitats. Even their distribution within the state is often determined by such climatic factors as unusually heavy rains, extreme droughts, uncommonly cold or mild winters, and hurricanes. Any one of these things can determine whether and where a butterfly may wander or establish a temporary colony far outside its normal breeding range. Such unpredictability only makes searching for, watching, and attracting butterflies more enjoyable.

So often a how-to work is so general it is of little help or even proves worthless for a particular purpose or area. The more specific the knowledge gleaned of the life cycles, habits, and eccentricities of these insects, the more helpful this knowledge will be. Also becoming better acquainted with the butterflies themselves can only deepen an interest and appreciation for this insect as the beautiful and complex organism it is. All butterflies and plants discussed in this text can be found within the state and within the regions specified. It is my hope that the information given here will not only be useful and make it easier in creating your personal garden for butterflies but will also bring beauty, wonder, and a sense of oneness into your life.

This book is written in a nontechnical style especially for gardeners living within the borders of Texas. In order to adequately cover the state, it has been divided into seven regions (see end sheet map): High Plains/Rolling Plains (Region 1), Grasslands/Prairies/Sa-vannahs (Region 2), Pine/Hardwoods (Region 3), Coastal Prairies/Marshes/Beaches (Region 4), Chaparral Plains and Rio Grande Valley (Region 5), Edwards Plateau (Region 6), and Trans-Pecos (Region 7).

GIANT SWALLOWTAIL (Papilio cresphontes)