The Butterfly Dunes

A photographic journal of a Central Florida wildlife habitat created for butterflies, caterpillars, bees, hummingbirds, and other insects that inhabit this area.

about

I am a gardener in Florida who maintains a wildlife habitat to sustain butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, birds, and insects. Host plants are grown to sustain butterfly caterpillars for this area. Flowers are grown to provide nectar for pollinators.

Eastern Black Swallowtail 2025

December 4, 2025

The past couple years, sitings of Eastern Black Swallowtails at the Butterly Dunes has have been limited. This year, I put out several Bronze Fennel plants and finally saw a female taking interest. She laid two different batches of eggs. I noticed the lizards were devouring all the 1st instar caterpillars, so I raised and released 10 butterflies, from egg to butterfly in captivity.