Saltwort Eater

Karen Schuster (Class of 2009) shared this photograph of a great southern white butterfly (Ascia monuste) that she took at Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge (PINWR).  We also saw this butterfly on our field trip to the Winter Beach Salt Marsh on 3/8/20 along with lots of saltwort (Batis marítima).

The succulent young leaves and stems of saltwort are eaten by humans and great southern white butterfly caterpillars.  Other larval foods include Virginia peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum) …

… and coastal searocket  (Cakile lanceolata) …

Virginia peppergrass and coastal searocket belong the the mustard family, Brassicaceae, along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, and collards.  Saltwort belongs to the Bataceae family, along with a similar tropical species.

Nectar plants include common beggarticks (Bidens alba)…

… frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) …

… wild pennyroyal (Piloblpehis rigida) …

… and large-flower Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora), deemed an category #2 invasive pest plant by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council …

Special thanks to Wildlife Photographer Bob Montanaro for the very first photo of a female great southern white butterfly with a discernible forewing cell spot.