Apollo Beach in Hillsborough County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
A Butterfly’s Habitat
Photographed by Sandra Hughes, January 9, 2013
1. A Butterfly’s Habitat Marker
In the Tampa Bay area’s subtropical climate, butterflies can thrive among many varieties of plants. In fact, most live their entire lives around plants like the ones in this garden, which was created as a butterfly habitat.
The plants attract and feed several kinds of butterflies. It’s easy to create a butterfly garden of your own at home — just talk to an expert at your local garden shop or at your county extension office.
Did you know ?
• It’s estimated that there are about 28,000 species of butterflies (about 160 species in Florida).
• Butterflies do not bite or carry disease.
• Butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera (a word that combines Greek words meaning “scales” and “wings” — butterflies and moths are the only insects that have scale-covered wings.
• The official butterfly of Florida is the Zebra Longwings (Heliconius charitonius).
• Butterflies must have a body temperature above 88 degrees Fahrenheit to fly.
• Some butterflies can fly faster that 30 miles per hour. Slower butterflies generally fly about five miles per hour.
• In addition to drinking the nectar of plants,
this page online
• Butterflies can only drink water from wet sand or soil.
Photos Left to Right
Gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanilla) on a lantana plant.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar
Monarch pupa (metamorphosis stage)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) on a milkweed plant.
Zebra longwings (Heliconius charitonius) on a penta-flower
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment.
Location. 27° 47.429′ N, 82° 23.889′ W. Marker is in Apollo Beach, Florida, in Hillsborough County. It is on Dickman Rd. Marker is located inside the park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6690 Dickman Rd, Apollo Beach FL 33572, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Florida’s Tampa Bay. It is also in the American South and on the Gulf Coast. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Listen carefully to hear a manatee! (approx. 0.2 miles away); Storm Water and the Estuary (approx. ¼ mile away); Manatee Scar Identification (approx. ¼ mile away); The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly (approx. ¼ mile away); What Role Do Mangroves Play In An Estuary? (approx. ¼ mile away); Long-Legged Wading Birds Stalk the Shallows (approx. ¼ mile away); Do You See a Manatee? (approx. ¼ mile away); Staking Their Claim (approx. 5.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Apollo Beach.
Also see . . .
1. Facts About Butterflies. Website homepage:
Natural butterfly habitats have been destroyed or affected by construction of housing and shopping developments, as well as by the use of pesticides and other chemicals. You can provide a suitable butterfly habitat that will help fortify the butterfly population, and as an added bonus, the habitat will bring you enjoyment in watching beautiful butterflies in your yard. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
2. Zebra Longwing Butterfly - Heliconius charitonia. Nature Works website entry:
The zebra longwing butterfly has long, narrow wings. Its wings are black with light yellow zebra-like stripes. It has long black antennae. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
3. Gulf fritillary butterfly. Featured Creatures website entry:
The Gulf fritillary, Agraulis vanillae (Linnaeus), is a brightly colored butterfly common across extreme southern portions of the United States. At home in most open, sunny habitats, it frequents roadsides, disturbed sites, fields, open woodlands, pastures, yards, and parks. It is a regular in most butterfly gardens, including those in more urban settings. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
4. Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Rainforest Alliance website entry:
One of the best-known butterfly species, the beautiful monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is renowned for its spectacular, long-distance annual migrations. The adult monarch butterfly is brightly colored, with orange upperwings, interlaced with black veins and surrounded by a wide, black border marked with numerous white spots. (Submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA.)
Additional commentary.
1. About the marker
At the time that this profile was first published, signs that exclusively interpreted nature and not human history were included in the Database. The guidelines have since been tightened.
— Submitted February 22, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 22, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 545 times since then and 16 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on August 3, 2017, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
