larval host plants
Baby bug buffet
Larval host plants are the specific plants that caterpillars and other insect larvae feed on during development.
Many butterfly and moth species can only reproduce on particular host plants—monarch caterpillars require milkweed, for instance.
Gardeners cultivating these plants attract breeding populations rather than just passing adults: We added larval host plants to support the full butterfly lifecycle.
- milkweedFlowering latex-bearing plant
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- egg layingDepositing fertilized ova externally
- passionflowerOrnate tropical climbing vine
- ovipositionDepositing eggs externally
food web · nettle · oak tree · metamorphosis · willow · dogwood · endangered species · native plants · native species · butterfly garden · keystone species · fennel · instar · life cycle · parasitoid · monarch butterfly · lepidoptera · pest management
- Lepidopterabutterflies, moths, monarch, cocoons, chrysalis