Providing interpretive education on wetlands and wildlife, panoramic views, water quality, weather, natural resource management, trails, bird watching, recreation, exhibits, displays and an eagles nest, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve is a treasure of the Hillsboro community.
The life cycle of a butterfly starts with an egg on an appropriate host plant that hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar grows to a sufficient size and then weaves a cocoon. Finally the adult develops wings and emerges from the cocoon to find a mate, breed, and lay eggs to start the next generation.
Below are some common adult butterflies that one can often seen during the summer at Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve or elsewhere in the Willamette Valley.
Caterpillar feeds on broad-leaf trees such as bigleaf maple,willow, aspen, and cottonwood. Adult nectars on blackberry blossoms, thistles, yarrow, teasel, alfalfa, columbine, phlox, and rhododendron.
A very common European import. Caterpillar feeds on butterfly bush, dogwood, mints, fireweeds, trefoil, sweet pea, plectritis, blackberry, hawkbit, and many others.
One of the earliest to appear in the spring. Caterpillar feeds on crucifers. Adult nectar favorites include dandelion, daisies, strawberries, monkeyflower, collinsia, rock cress, and mustards.
Caterpillar feeds on pea leaves, alfalfa, and other plants. Adult nectars on clover, hawkbit, fleabane, asters, marigolds, red clover, and Rubus.
Caterpillar feeds on lupines. Adult nectars on lupines and composites.
Subspecies Fender’s Blue is currently found in only a couple Willamette Valley locations.
Caterpillar feeds on a variety of host plants. Adult nectars on a great variety of flowers including alfalfa, wild onion, loosestrife, mints, clover, and goldenrod.
Caterpillar feeds on docks and knotweeds. Adults nectar on thyme, heather, catnip, aster, clover, buttercup, trefoil, mints, gumweed, ragwort, hawkbit, fleabane, thistle, glasswort, and knotweed.
Caterpillar feeds on thistle. Adults nectar on butterfly bush, rabbitbrush, Canada thistle, aster, clover, chokecherry, dogwood, mints, and dandelion.
Caterpillar feeds on willow, aspen, cottonwood, serviceberry, spirea, ocean spray, apple, cherry, and mountain balm. Adult nectars on dogbane, mustards, yarrow, thistle, and various fruits.
Caterpillar feeds on various trees. Adult nectars on currants, asters, and various fruits.
Caterpillar feeds on various grasses. Adult nectars on mints, garden herbs, fireweed, butterfly bush, heather, oxeye daisy, pearly everlasting, hawkbit, ragwart, selfheal, phlox, sweet pea, and tansy.
Caterpillar feeds on Garry (Oregon White) Oak.
Sources: Photos were selected from http:\\www.dirttime.ws by Dennis Deck. Caterpillar and adult plant use information was derived from The Butterflies of Cascadia by Robert Michael Pyle.
2600 SW Hillsboro Hwy. Hillsboro, OR 97123|fax: 503-681-6277|phone: 503-681-6206