(This article is adapted from an
RBCN newsletter article "Adult birdwings need nectar: What flowers
could be their enticements?" by Lois Hughes)
 Have
you ever been entranced by a Richmond Birdwing sipping nectar
from a flower or witnessed the beautiful courtship dance as
a pair spiral through dappled sunlight, jewelled colours contrasting
sharply with the deep greens of rainforest foliage? Memorable
moments like these have surely inspired us to greater efforts
by recreating conditions suitable so that these rare glimpses
become more commonplace.
Is it possible to attract birdwings back to breed in habitats
once their vines are flourishing and entice them to stay?
Could an abundant source of nectar nearby help as an enticement?
It is worth a try. At the time of writing, the prolonged drought
would certainly be affecting nectar plants as well as vines,
so supplementing natural, native sources would seem prudent,
as the butterfly's energy needs would be great, considering
the long distances they travel in search of host plants and
the energy required for egg production. Having a ready source
of nectar may be one reason why some colonies are flourishing
in private gardens and not in the wild.
Flowers - shape,
colour, perfume, abundance and situation
Drawing on the experience of others and personal observation
of butterflies in general and their often distinct preferences,
it is apparent that Birdwings find red and also white blossoms
highly attractive. Funnel or trumpet shaped flowers, as well
as fluffy or pompom shapes are excellent for their long proboscis
to probe. Other factors influencing butterflies' plant preferences
include perfume, profusion and a certain wildness (thickets
of Lantana are a classic example of this) as well as their
situation, whether growing in sun, shade and sheltered from
the wind, so mass plantings are a good idea, providing a wind
break.
Exotic or Native
- Adult birdwings are not that fussy
Buddleia, Pentas and Lantana, and Duranta with their masses
of trumpet shaped flowers, are particularly attractive to
most butterfly species. The vanilla-scented white Duranta
is preferred as it doesn't produce copious quantities of seed
as does the purple flowered "Geisha Girl". However,
it is wise to collect and safely dispose of seed to prevent
its spread into bushland, keeping in mind that all of the
above are, or have, invasive weed potential.
- Buddleia
- Penta
- Duranta
- Calliandra (Pompom bush)
- Icecream Bean tree
- Hibiscus (old fashioned single blooms)
- Bouganvillea
- Agapanthus
- Impatiens (single form)
- Ixora,
- Vinca or Periwinkle
- Justica (red)
- red flowered (Clerodendron splendens)
- daisies
- flowering herbs in “cottage garden” profusion.
Natives
Any blossoms that attract honeyeaters may also attract the
Birdwings. Unfortunately many natives have short flowering
periods and some exotic species may be more reliable as a
way of providing sources of nectar throughout the year.
- Bloodwoods
- Callistemons
- Syzygium spp. (Watergums, scrub cherry, lillypillys)
- Hymenosporum flavum (native frangipani )
- Eucalyptus spp
- Lophostemon confertus (brushbox)
- Euodia elleryana (pink euodia)
- Alloxylon pinnatum (red silky oak) and other
grevilleas
- Castanospermum austral (blackbean)
- Eleaocarpus grandis (blue quandong)
As we wait expectantly for the appearance of the glorious
Birdwings in our area we will be blessed with many other beautiful
butterfly visitors to our abundant nectar sources, surely
an added bonus.
Captive Rearing Program
Experience from the captive rearing program undertaken at
Fleay's Fauna Reserve at Burleigh (2009-2010) has found that
the adult birdwings have a preference for magenta colours
and a liking for callistemons rather than grevilleas.
Of course, if Birdwings have long been extinct from your
area, there is no chance that planting an abundance of adult
attracting flowering plants or for that matter larval host
vines will entice the butterflies back to your area. See the
section on Lifecycles for information on the Birdwing's travel
movements. However, if your area has only recently
lost the birdwings, there is every chance that you will see
them visit your garden. Experience in Brisbane, which is considered
to have lost their breeding colonies over the last decade
or more, has found that sightings of both male and female
Birdwing butterflies are being reported when seasons are more
favourable. |