The urban forests found throughout McAllen and at its wildlife sanctuary are creating new habitats to help counter dwindling butterfly populations in the region and across the country.

The efforts to do so have become a citywide initiative with educational programs at the Quinta Mazatlan sanctuary and a butterfly garden at McAllen City Hall. At local schools, students gather for tree-planting events at the urban forests and develop awareness of the plants and flowers butterflies need to feed and reproduce.

“We are putting a lot of plants in the ground that are host plants and nectar plants for our butterflies,” said John Bush, an urban ecologist at Quinta Mazatlan. “It’s important we do so because we’re one of the more diverse places for butterflies in the United States.”

The Rio Grande Valley has more than 300 species of butterflies. A significant portion of the Valley’s butterfly species are unique to the region and are not found elsewhere in the United States. Butterflies like the Mexican Bluewing and the Two-Barred Flasher are not found further north. The Valley is also a critical stopover point for migrating monarch butterflies heading south to Mexico. 

Every bit of habitat creation is vital, Bush said, because “butterfly populations are declining.”

Planting Native Plants

Another urban wildlife biologist, Sam Kieschnik of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, estimates that 22 species of butterflies have suffered a 90 percent decline. 

Kieschnik offered that insight in a recent television report and said the dramatic decreases in the Southwest United States are “due to warmer conditions, habitat loss and pesticides.” At the National Butterfly Center in Mission, the grounds specialize in growing and maintaining the host plants and trees that butterflies need to thrive. The Quinta Mazaltan in McAllen is doing the same and Bush says local residents can do likewise.

“Plant native plants,” Bush said. “The more diverse species you put in your spaces, the more butterflies you can support.”

Spaces, even small ones, can make a positive difference, he said. Honeysuckle plants and native vegetation like the Tamaulipan spring mist flower are great choices for attracting butterflies. The needs of some butterflies are especially focused on one kind of plant or flower. Adult monarchs feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, but its butterfly caterpillars eat only milkweeds and the nutrients its leaves provide.

Playing A Vital Role

Butterflies bring more than beauty to landscapes.

They also play a vital role in the ecosystems of wherever they live. Butterflies are pollinators as are bees in moving pollen between plants. They are not as efficient as bees in that process, but the sheer number of butterflies and their visits to numerous flowers contribute significantly to the pollination process.

“Butterflies are a really important part of our ecosystem,” Bush said. “Without them, some of our plants would not be as pollinated as well.”

Kieschnik, the state biologist, puts it in more stark terms in describing how butterflies play an integral role in the pollination process.

“If butterflies and bugs go away, we will soon follow,” he said. “If we lose bugs, if we lose pollinators, we lose food.”

The over ten urban forests established and growing in McAllen are doing their part to keep the local ecosystem a vibrant place where butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects can thrive to make the city a better place to live and work.

For more information about which native plants attract butterflies, visit quintamazatlan.com.