Many thanks to Linda Graetz for this abundant reciprocity and resource list. Learn more about moths and butterflies, and about ways you can help them thrive.
Reciprocity
Grow Native!
Use your green space to provide food sources for caterpillars, nectar for the adults, habitat for laying eggs and pupation. Plant native species of wild flowers, shrubs, trees, etc. to support the insect life cycle and food supply for the insects, for the birds and all other creatures that need them.
Grow Native: grownative.org/
Monarch Gardens: www.monarchgard.com/
Book list from Monarch Gardens: www.monarchgard.com/books.html
Nature’s Best Hope, Doug Tallamy. (Or if you prefer watching to reading: Nature’s Best Hope online presentation.)
Homegrown National Park | Ask Doug Tallamy: homegrownnationalpark.org/faq
More videos from Doug: homegrownnationalpark.org/tallamys-hub-1
A New Garden Ethic: Cultivating Defiant Compassion for an Uncertain Future, Benjamin Vogt.
New Hampshire State Butterfly, the Karner Blue: thelaker.com/2022/karner-blue-new-hampshires-state-butterfly. Karner blue caterpillars only feed on wild blue lupine leaves. Restore or convert habitat to protect and promote the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly .
Go! on field trips planned by local nature groups and led by specialists in your area!
Chocorua Lake Conservancy: www.chocorualake.org/events
Tin Mountain Conservation Center: www.tinmountain.org/events/
New Hampshire Audubon: www.nhaudubon.org/.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center: www.nhnature.org/
Visit Kirkwood Gardens: www.nhnature.org/visit/kirkwood_gardens.php
Join! and support a local butterfly or conservation organization.
Chocorua Lake Conservancy: www.chocorualake.org/
NABA, the North American Butterfly Association: naba.org/
New Hampshire Audubon: www.nhaudubon.org/.
RESOURCES
BOOKS
A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America, Jeffrey Glassberg.
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman.
Peterson Field Guide to Moths of Northeastern North America, David Beadle and Seabrooke Leckie.
Discovering Moths: Nighttime Jewels in Your Own Backyard, John Himmelman.
Insects of New England and New York, Tom Murray.
Tom’s website: http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/bugs
WEBSITES
The Caterpillar Lab, Sam Jaffe founder: www.thecaterpillarlab.org/
iNaturalist: www.inaturalist.org/home
Interactive Listing of Butterflies of America: www.butterfliesofamerica.com/intro.htm
Learn about Butterflies and Moths: www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Butterfly%20Facts.htm
Massachusetts Butterfly Club—species list: www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-group-page.asp?gr=All
Moth Photographer’s Group: mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/
New Hampshire Butterfly Monitoring Network: www.wildlife.state.nh.us/surveys/butterfly-monitoring-survey.html
New Hampshire checklist of butterflies and moths, 1087 species (so far): www.butterfliesandmoths.org/checklists?species_type=All&tid=45221
Google group for butterfly finding in NH: groups.google.com/g/nhbutterfly
And here are links you can check out to learn a little more about caterpillars:
https://leafyplace.com/types-of-caterpillars/
https://entomologytoday.org/2022/07/21/glimpse-caterpillars-national-moth-week/.
VIDEOS
Understanding metamorphosis—5 minute animation: www.facebook.com/TEDEducation/videos/1923415757671621/
Sex, Lies and Butterflies, produced by PBS: www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/sex-lies-butterflies/16076/
Banner image: Rosy Maple Moth on Evening Primrose. Photo: Juno Lamb