Wildlife Wednesday - Rocky Mountain Parnassian
By Andy Ames
Last week we looked at many of the wildflowers that have been thriving in the Estes Valley with our rainy weather. We are not alone in enjoying these flowers. A wide array of pollinators appreciate them, too. Running along a favorite ridge line trail the other day I suddenly found myself surrounded by white butterflies. I found myself in the same situation this morning while running through a meadow. What did these two trails have in common? They both had an abundance of Stonecrop (Sedum), which is the sole food source of the Rocky Mountain Parnassian butterfly caterpillar. While the Rocky Mountain Parnassian butterfly can be found from the foothills to the alpine, they are particularly prolific in the Estes Valley right now. Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar, sap, and mud and lay eggs singly and haphazardly around the larvae’s host plant, stonecrop. Depending on the climate, they may take one or two years to mature to adulthood, overwintering as egg, caterpillar, or chrysalis.
So, if you have a favorite trail for Stonecrop you may find yourself surrounded by butterflies, too.
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