Many indigenous plants are important food plants for indigenous butterflies.

Acacia implexa (Lightwood) buds feed caterpillars of the Double spotted Line-blue (Nacaduba biocellata)

Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia dealbata and Acacia mearnsii attract the Imperial Hairstreak Butterfly (Jalmenus evagorus).

Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle) provides a bonanza of invertebrate life at all stages of life

Brachyscome multifida (Cut-leaf Daisy) is a strong attractant to nectar feeding butterflies, hoverflies and other nectar feeding insects. The long flowering season and rapid recovery from drought or from cutting makes this species particularly useful.

Bursaria spinosa (Sweet Bursaria) Attracts insects including butterflies such as the Meadow Argus (Junonia villida), Double spotted Line-blue (Nacaduba biocellata)and is the foodplant of the Eltham Copper Butterfly. Its nectar sometimes attracts the Dainty Swallowtail (Papilio anactus). Its flowers are essential food for the Bursaria Fairy Moth (Nemophora chrysolamprella)

Einadia and Atriplex species (such as Einadia nutans and Atriplex semibaccata)and other species of the Chenopodiaceae family are the food plant of the caterpillars of Saltbush Blue Butterflies (Theclinesthes serpentata)

Lomandra longifolia is the foodplant of the Splendid Ochre skipper butterfly (Trapezites symmomus)

Plantago varia and Plantago gaudichaudii are the food plant of the caterpillars of the Meadow Argus (Junonia villida) and Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)

Pea family species such as Indigofera australis, Hardenbergia violacea, Cullen tenax and Desmodium spp are food plants for the caterpillars of the

Common Grass Blue (Zizina labradus)

Themeda triandra grown as an understorey to eucalypts may form a suitable habitat for the Common Brown (Heteronympha merope).

Urtica incisa is a foodplant for the caterpillars of the Yellow Admiral Butterfly (Vanessa itea)

Wahlenbergia communis (Tufted bluebell) Attracts nectar feeding insects such as butterflies as well as some beetles and are a magnet for native bees of several kinds.

Feel free to add more.

There was an IFFA excursion to the Melbourne Zoo on 15 February 2009 that inspired this page. There is an article about it in the first Indigenotes for 2009 here.