butterfly attraction

[Stephen Hall]

Katy Bigelow wrote:

>Do the same properties which attract Australian butterflies to plants in 
>Australia also work to attract native butterflies elsewhere?  (For 
>example, could an Australian butterfly attracting nectar or host plant be 
>an attractive nectar or host plant for a native Californian butterfly?) 
>(Or any other country for example)


Only up to a point. I'm not sure about Australia, but from my experience
rearing tropical butterflies in butterfly houses in the UK, it does not
necessarily mean that the flowers which attract temperate butterflies are
going to appeal to tropical species. For example, Buddleia flowers are one
of the best nectar sources of butterflies in the UK, in fact the common
name of the Buddleia is the ‘Butterfly Bush', but in the butterfly house
the flowers of this plant are not
especially enticing to many tropical species. I hasten to add this is a
generalization!

Best wishes,
Steve Hall
[s_k_hall at compuserve.com]