Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: Melanie's Spring Butterfly Thread, 1 by mellielong

mellielong wrote:
Another obsession I developed this spring was finding some of those Checkered White cats. I finally spotted one laying eggs at MOSI this weekend so I started looking at the peppergrass. I remembered that Whites and Sulphurs are related and sure enough the White eggs looked like little orange footballs. Like the Cassius Blue, they lay them on the flowers. Once I spotted one it got a lot easier, and then I managed to find some caterpillars. When I got home I ran across the street to this vacant lot that had some peppergrass and I gathered up a bunch of cats so I could raise them at home. I also noticed there's some wild petunia (ruellia caroliniensis) growing there and I'm going to go dig it up when I feel better (and the neighbors aren't looking).

Other than that, I've got lots of Zebra ST in their chrysalises, a Palamedes, a Spicebush cat, a tank of Orange-Barred Sulphurs, my Checkered White cats, a bunch of Gulf Frits in chrysalises, and the never ending Monarch cats. I'll be sure and keep you posted on all of them in the daily thread.

Melanie