Larval Host Plants
Native Host Plants For Central Texas Butterflies
Giant Swallowtail
- Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)
- Toothache Tree (Zanthoxylum hirsutum)
Eastern Black Swallowtail
- Dutchmen’s Breeches (Thamnosma texana)
- Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia nuttallii)
- Prairie Bishop’s Weed (Bifora americana)
Spicebush Swallowtail
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
Pipevine Swallowtail
- Swan Flower (Aristolochia erecta)
- Texas Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria)
- Texas Pipevine (Aristolochia coryi)
- Woolly Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa)
Two-Tailed Tiger Swallowtail
- Hop Tree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Escarpment Black Cherry (Prunus serotina var. Exemia)
- Texas Ash (Fraxinus texensis)
Red-Spotted Purple
- Escarpment Black Cherry (Prunus serotina var. Exemia)
- Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing and Julia
- Passionflower (Passiflora lutea)
- Passionflower (Passiflora tennuiloba)
- Passionflower (Passiflora affinis)
- Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)
- Tagua Passionflower (Passiflora foetida)
Variegated Fritillary
- Flax (Linum spp.)
- Passionflower on rare occasions (Passiflora spp.)
Goatweed Butterfly
- Doveweed (Croton monanthogynus)
- Doveweed (Croton texensis)
- Bush Croton (Croton fruticulosus)
Question Mark Butterfly
- Hackberry Trees (Celtis sp.)
- Elm Trees (Ulmus sp.)
Dogface Sulphur
- Kidneywood (Eysenhardtia texana)
- Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens)
- Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea compacta)
Sleepy Orange Sulphur
- Lindheimer’s Senna (Cassia lindheimerii)
- Two-Leaved Senna (Cassia roemeriana)
Dainty Sulphur
- Greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium)
- Navajo Tea (Thelesperma simplicifolium)
Cloudless Sulphur
- Lindheimer’s Senna (Cassia lindheimeri)
- Two-Leaved Senna (Cassia roemeriana)
- Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Checkered White
- Virginia Peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum)
- Other plants in the Mustard family
Falcate Orange Tip
- Virginia Peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum)
- Other plants in the Mustard family
Monarch
- Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
- Milkweed Vine (Matelea spp.) less frequently
Queen
- Green Milkweed (Asclepias viridis)
- Wand Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)
- Texas Milkweed (Asclepias texana)
- Other Asclepias spp. less frequently
- Milkweed Vine (Cynanchum spp.)
- Wavy Leaf Milkweed Vine (Sarcostemma crispum)
- Purple Milkweed Vine (Matelea bifora)
Red Admiral
- Stinging Nettles (Urtica spp.)
- Pellitory or Cucumber Plant (Parietaria pennsylvanica)
Painted Lady
- Texas Thistle (Cirsium texana)
- Plants in the Mallow family
America Painted Lady
- Rabbit Tobacco (Evax spp.)
- Others in the Aster family as well
Buckeye
- Gerardia (Agalinus spp.)
- Plantain (Plantago spp.)
- Paintbrush (Castilleja spp.)
- Wild Petunia (Ruellia spp.)
Mourning Cloak
- Willows (Salix spp.)
- Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
- Many others used
Bordered Patch
- Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides)
- Golden-Eye (Viguiera dentata)
- Zexmenia (Zexmenia hispida)
- Many other composites used
Janais Patch
- Flame Acanthus (Aniscanthus quadrifidus)
Texas Crescentspot
- Plants in the Acanthus family
Phaon Crescentspot
- Frogfruit (Phyla spp.)
Pearly Crescentspot
- Aster (Aster spp.)
Vesta Crescentspot
- Hairy Tube Tongue (Siphonoglossa pilosella)
Hackberry Butterfly
Tawny Emperor
Empress Leila
Common Snout
- Hackberry Tree (Celtis spp.)
Silver-Spotted Skipper
- False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa)
- Texas Indigo Tree (Amorpha roemeriana)
Funereal Duskywing
- Scarlet Pea (Indigofera miniata)
- Rattlebush (Sesbania drummondii)
- Many other legumes
Mottled Duskywing
- Redroot, New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus herbaceous)
Checkered Skipper
- Plants in the Mallow family
Clouded Skipper
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
- Many Other grass skippers using most any native grass available
Common Wood Nymph
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)
- Purpletop Tridens (Tridens flavus)
Red Satyr
- An assortment of native grasses
Gray Hairstreak
- Many different host plants
Ceraunus Blue
- Scarlet Pea (Indigofera miniata)
- Bundleflower (Desmanthus spp.)
- Prairie Clovers (Dalea spp.)
Reakirt’s Blue
- Bundlefower (Desmanthus spp.)
Great Blue Hairstreak
- Mistletoe (Phoradendron tomentosum)