I first created this site back in 1998 to document the wild plants that I encountered. But it has grown into a clearinghouse of information on landscaping, backyard birds, butterfly gardening, plant identification and making paper from plant fiber. After leaving Kansas, I thought of deleting the site. But realize it has a wealth of information that people rely upon.
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Table of Butterfly Species and their Larval Host Plant Families
Species' Larval Plant Families
My favorite web site for butterfly and moth information is sponsored by Butterflies and Moths of North America. It shows range information by state and lists larval plants for each species.
I've compiled a list of butterfly larva plants. It lists species of butterflies along with the plant families that they use for larval food. These are butterfly species found in Shawnee County Kansas according to Butterflies and Moths of North America Butterflies of Kansas website. For each butterfly species the Plant family that the larva use as food plants is listed. To determine which species represent a Plant family see the Plant Search page to search for all plant species for a specific family.
Table
| Family | Subfamily | Common Name | Latin Name | Larva Plant Family |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Common Mestra | Mestra amymone | Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Red-spotted Purple | Limenitis arthemis | Betulaceae (Birch) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Red-spotted Purple | Limenitis arthemis | Fagaceae (Oak) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Red-spotted Purple | Limenitis arthemis | Rosaceae (Rose) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Red-spotted Purple | Limenitis arthemis | Salicaceae (Willow) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Red-spotted Purple | Limenitis arthemis | Tiliaceae (Linden) |
| Brush-footed | Admirals and Relatives | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | Salicaceae (Willow) |
| Brush-footed | Emperors | Hackberry Emperor | Asterocampa celtis | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | Emperors | Tawny Emperor | Asterocampa clyton | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Great Spangled Fritillary | Speyeria cybele | Violaceae (Violet) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Regal Fritillary | Speyeria idalia | Violaceae (Violet) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Berberidaceae (Barberry) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Menispermaceae (Moonseed) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Portulacaceae (Purslane) |
| Brush-footed | Heliconians and Fritillaries | Variegated Fritillary | Euptoieta claudia | Violaceae (Violet) |
| Brush-footed | Leafwings | Goatweed Leafwing | Anaea andria | Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) |
| Brush-footed | Monarchs | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed) |
| Brush-footed | Monarchs | Queen | Danaus gilippus | Asclepiadaceae (Milkweed) |
| Brush-footed | Satyrs | Common Wood Nymph | Cercyonis pegala | Poaceae (Grass) |
| Brush-footed | Satyrs | Little Wood Satyr | Megisto cymela | Poaceae (Grass) |
| Brush-footed | Satyrs | Northern Pearly Eye | Enodia anthedon | Poaceae (Grass) |
| Brush-footed | Snouts | American Snout | Libytheana carinenta | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | American Lady | Vanessa virginiensis | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Acanthus (Acantheae) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Plantaginaceaea (Plantain) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Santalaceae (Sandalwood) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Common Buckeye | Junonia coenia | Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Eastern Comma | Polygonia comma | Urticaceae (Nettle) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Gorgone Checkerspot | Chlosyne gorgone | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Gray Comma | Polygonia progne | Grossulariaceae (Currant) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Salicaceae (Willow) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Painted Lady | Vanessa cardui | Malvaceae (Mallow) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Pearl Crescent | Phyciodes tharos | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Ulmaceae (Elm) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Question Mark | Polygonia interrogationis | Urticaceae (Nettle) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | Urticaceae (Nettle) |
| Brush-footed | True Brush-foots | Silvery Checkerspot | Chlosyne nycteis | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Gossamer-wing | Blues | Eastern Tailed-Blue | Everes comyntas | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Gossamer-wing | Blues | Reakirt's Blue | Hemiargus isola | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Gossamer-wing | Blues | Spring Azure | Celastrina ladon | Rhamanaceae (Buckthorn) |
| Gossamer-wing | Blues | Summer Azure | Celastrina neglecta | Rhamanaceae (Buckthorn) |
| Gossamer-wing | Coppers | Bronze Copper | Lycaena hyllus | Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) |
| Gossamer-wing | Coppers | Gray Copper | Lycaena dione | Polygonaceae (Buckwheat) |
| Gossamer-wing | Hairstreaks | Coral Hairstreak | Satyrium titus | Rosaceae (Rose) |
| Gossamer-wing | Hairstreaks | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Gossamer-wing | Hairstreaks | Gray Hairstreak | Strymon melinus | Malvaceae (Mallow) |
| Gossamer-wing | Hairstreaks | Henry's Elfin | Callophrys henrici | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Gossamer-wing | Hairstreaks | Juniper Hairstreak | Callophrys gryneus | Cupressaceae (Juniper) |
| Gossamer-wing | Harvesters | Harvester | Feniseca tarquinius | Wooly Aphids |
| Skipper | Grass Skippers | Fiery Skipper | Hylephila phyleus | Poaceae (Grass) |
| Skipper | Spread-wing Skippers | Silver-spotted Skipper | Epargyreus clarus | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Swallowtail | Swallowtails | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | Apiaceae (Parsley) |
| Swallowtail | Swallowtails | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | Rosaceae (Rose) |
| Swallowtail | Swallowtails | Giant Swallowtail | Papilio cresphontes | Rutaceae (Citrus) |
| Swallowtail | Swallowtails | Zebra Swallowtail | Eurytides marcellus | Annonaceae (Custard Apple) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Clouded Sulphur | Colias philodice | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Cloudless Sulphur | Phoebis sennae | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Dainty Sulphur | Nathalis iole | Asteraceae (Aster) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Little Yellow | Eurema lisa | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Orange Sulphur | Colias eurytheme | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Sleepy Orange | Eurema nicippe | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Sulphurs | Southern Dogface | Zerene cesonia | Fabaceae (Bean) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Whites | Cabbage White | Pieris rapae | Brassicaceae (Mustard) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Whites | Checkered White | Pontia protodice | Brassicaceae (Mustard) |
| Whites & Sulphurs | Whites | Olympia Marble | Euchloe olympia | Brassicaceae (Mustard) |
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