Host Plants
The Mission Blue butterfly is entirely dependent upon three species of lupine (lupin) in the genus Lupinus: the silver lupine, Lupinus albifrons, the summer lupine, Lupinus formosus and the varied lupine, Lupinus variicolor. Ironically, the same harmful toxins which have led to the eradication of several lupines from rangeland are responsible for the protection of the Mission Blue larvae, as predators are deterred by the bitter taste.
Read more about this topic: Mission Blue Butterfly
Famous quotes containing the words host and/or plants:
“Nothing is quite so wretchedly corrupt as an aristocracy which has lost its power but kept its wealth and which still has endless leisure to devote to nothing but banal enjoyments. All its great thoughts and passionate energy are things of the past, and nothing but a host of petty, gnawing vices now cling to it like worms to a corpse.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)
“Brute force crushes many plants. Yet the plants rise again. The Pyramids will not last a moment compared with the daisy. And before Buddha or Jesus spoke the nightingale sang, and long after the words of Jesus and Buddha are gone into oblivion the nightingale still will sing. Because it is neither preaching nor commanding nor urging. It is just singing. And in the beginning was not a Word, but a chirrup.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)