Breeding European butterflies - best foodplants

[luehdorfia]

With the lockdown happening here in Europe, I cannot move anywhere else than Germany, and I thought it is a good idea to spend my time with making a wonderful garden filled with foodplants for future breeding projects. Plants can easily be ordered online, so no need to leave the house. 

I do have a book "Breeding the British Butterflies" from the AES and after some online research I found great foodplants for some of the species I want to breed, but would need more advice on some I am unsure about. 

To breed Argynnis niobe, I already have some very healthy plants of: 
Viola odorata
Viola cornuta
will that work? Or do I need something else? 

To breed Pieris napi I would use: 
Armoracia rusticana
I think this is a good idea, do I need to separate caterpillars or can many of them be on one plant?

For Papilio machaon I would use: 
Levisticum officinale
Is this the best one? And would females lay eggs on it? 

Looking forward to your suggestions, and I hope everyone is fine and will go through the crisis safely!

[Adam Cotton]

Mar 28, 2020 11:20:24 GMT luehdorfia said:

For Papilio machaon I would use: 
Levisticum officinale
Is this the best one? And would females lay eggs on it? 

In Germany I think the best plant for P. machaon may be dill, Anethum graveolens. My friend in Frechen near Cologne grows that in his garden for P. machaon. It may be easier to grow than fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, in your climate, but that is also an excellent food plant. I have no experience of Levisticum officinale but I expect it is also a good alternative. It really depends which plant species grows well where you live.

Adam.