Imperiled butterflies also depend heavily on prairie habitats. Flowers in most backyard gardens are exotics from which butterflies may sip nectar, but the leaves of which their caterpillars cannot eat. Even with the recent trend toward native gardens, the need for caterpillar host plants is great. Many varieties of butterflies are in decline worldwide due to habitat loss, pesticides, and other hazards. Among these, monarchs are probably the most recognized. Many are found at LRWP preserves visiting our numerous wildflowers including milkweed plants, where adult monarchs lay their eggs. At Eagle Marsh we have seen up to eleven monarch caterpillars on one milkweed.