This week we explored a colorful prairie wildflower, discovered two small but fascinating butterflies, and learned why a patch of native grass is much more than just grass.
How much do you remember? Let’s find out!
💜 1. WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) is also commonly known by what delicious-sounding name?
A. Winecups
B. Buttercups
C. Teacups
🦋 2. CHECK IT OUT!
Common Checkered-Skipper caterpillars use plants from which family as important hosts?
A. Mallow family
B. Mint family
C. Aster family
🐛 3. A CATERPILLAR HIDEAWAY
How can a Common Checkered-Skipper caterpillar create a protective shelter?
A. Digging a burrow underground
B. Pulling or folding leaves together with silk
C. Building a nest from grass
🌾 4. MORE THAN GRASS
Native grasses can provide wildlife with:
A. Seeds and food
B. Shelter and nesting habitat
C. Caterpillar host plants
D. All of the above
🦋 5. THE FALSE-HEAD TRICK
What special feature helps a Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) potentially misdirect predators?
A. Bright warning colors covering its entire body
B. Wing tails and markings that resemble a false head
C. Transparent wings
🌸 BONUS QUESTION!
Why is Purple Poppy Mallow especially valuable in a pollinator garden?
Because it doesn’t just provide flowers for visiting adult pollinators—it can also serve as a host plant for butterfly caterpillars, including the Gray Hairstreak and Common Checkered-Skipper.
🌿 THIS WEEK’S BIG LESSON: HABITAT SUPPORTS THE WHOLE LIFE CYCLE.
A native garden isn’t only about providing nectar. Wildlife also needs places to eat, reproduce, hide, overwinter, and raise the next generation.
👇 HOW DID YOU DO?
Post your answers 1–5 in the comments and challenge a friend to Test Their Nature Knowledge!
🔎 Look closer. Learn the connections. Create habitat.
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