Roston Native Butterfly House

We have paw paw trees growing at Roston Native Butterfly House, and often have zebra swallowtails as well, in all their stages — egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (cocoon), and adult. Plan to visit soon!

It took 20 years for the zebra swallowtails to find our little pawpaw grove, planted in 2006 from a handful of foot-high bareroots. That’s a long time to wait, and yet it’s no time at all.

In the intervening years, our habitat has grown and changed, our livelihoods have changed, our bones and muscles have lost some density and mass. We’ve lost trees and people, and we’ve welcomed new trees and new people.

Through it all, the pawpaws keep growing. About a decade ago, their fruits began feeding opossums, deer, raccoons, and us. Their flowers feed flies and beetles, their main pollinators. And now, their leaves will feed caterpillars of this mama zebra swallowtail who flew past me as I wandered the paths on April 30.

It had been five years to the day since I last held my father’s hand. Death and life, loss and rebirth: it’s what spring is all about, so I was not as surprised by this as I used to be. I was just very grateful.

I watched her for more than an hour as she laid eggs on leaves high and low, way up in the canopy and way down on the smallest suckers. It was the first time I saw something I’d only previously read about. While researching my book Wildscape, I’d come across a study explaining why zebra swallowtails search for leaves close to the ground: They’re hoping to evade high-flying parasitoid wasps who lay eggs in swallowtail caterpillars.

This beautiful mama seemed to be hedging her bets, laying as many eggs in as many places as possible. It’s not unlike planting seeds wherever you can, a good life strategy.

We are open for the season! Come on out and learn more about monarch and other native butterflies and moths!

We're kicking off a monarch biology series, where we're sharing more about the monarch life cycle, anatomy, and other fun facts!

First up: the monarch egg.

Monarch eggs are tiny (smaller than the size of a pinhead), creamy white, and shaped like a miniature football. If you look closely, you’ll notice ridges along the egg and small structures on one end called "micropyles," which allow fertilization to occur.

Female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and in about 3 to 5 days, a tiny caterpillar will emerge from each egg. One of the first things it does? It'll turn around and eat its own shell!

Stay tuned for the next post in our monarch biology series!

Photo credit: Rebecca Wagner

Here's another native plant sale, right in the same complex as Roston Native Butterfly House!

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/local/2026/05/05/native-plant-sale-set-for-may-9-at-springfield-botanical-gardens/89894573007/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRq6jpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF4aVpFd0RMRW5XSkRVSHdIc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHnrwcUwGIxSdmBr-OkUeXQTITKlMMmLv5uJsZNpBWP0gh4euy9C_HXGZ_Z_i_aem_zFVOXcz2w0vAmhk8nHRSEQ

Springfield Botanical Gardens to host spring native plant sale Discover spring native plants May 9 at Springfield Botanical Gardens, plus the butterfly house opening and free garden tram tours.

Native Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths and skippers) need native plants for nectar and especially as food for their caterpillars. Some species host on only one species of plant. An example is the zebra swallowtail, that hosts only on paw paw trees.

Here are two native plant sales coming up on May 9th in Columbia, MO and St. Joseph, MO.

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We're kicking off a monarch biology series, where we're sharing more about the monarch life cycle, anatomy, and other fun facts!

First up: the monarch egg.

Monarch eggs are tiny (smaller than the size of a pinhead), creamy white, and shaped like a miniature football. If you look closely, you’ll notice ridges along the egg and small structures on one end called "micropyles," which allow fertilization to occur.

Female monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and in about 3 to 5 days, a tiny caterpillar will emerge from each egg. One of the first things it does? It'll turn around and eat its own shell!

Stay tuned for the next post in our monarch biology series!

Photo credit: Rebecca Wagner

We feature these beauties at Roston Native Butterfly House. Opening day this year is May 9. Come for a visit!

Luna moths (Actias luna) are one of the most beautiful moths you’ll find in woodlands and yards across North America. Their name comes from the moon-like eyespots on their fore- and hindwings.

Each spring, Luna Moths emerge from their cocoon in the leaf litter and look for a mate. Here in South, there are generally three generations each year, with the spring brood being dark green with a purplish margin on their forewings.

If you want more Luna Moths around your home, here are a few tips:
1. Plant their native host trees. These include black gum, black walnut, hickories, sweet gum, and persimmon.
2. Instead of burning or mulching your leaves in autumn, gently blow or rake them into a planting bed or spread them out in a wild space. This will give the cocoon a warm and safe place to overwinter.

If you can do these two things, who knows, you might be rewarded with a Luna Moth in your yard next spring!

How interesting!

For the first time, scientists are tracking the migration of monarch butterflies across much of North America, actively monitoring individual insects on journeys. It could provide crucial insights into the life cycles of hundreds of flying insects at a time when many are in steep decline. https://nyti.ms/3LOARsE

Meet nature’s own trick-or-treater.
Nature’s Halloween costume at its finest the Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar uses a clever disguise to look like a tiny snake, fooling birds and other predators into keeping their distance. The best disguises, after all, come straight from nature’s imagination.

Read more about my favorite caterpillar in Missouri Conservationist: https://mdc.mo.gov/magazines/conservationist/2020-07/big-eyed-beautiful