and right before I went to work. I wonder if this stage is painful..he was squiggling around a lot.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 63
very cool photo
Do you know what kind it is? What plant is it on?
I need a tupperware container or something to keep my camera outside..I scare the heck out of the cat when I jump up to run in and get it for intersting shots.
The only time I can get a sulpher guy is when it's roosting!
I think it's a sulpher larvae that had crawled there...there has been no consumption on the plant it's on
RJ, cool cat! But speaking of rain, since my area has been in Exceptional Drought level for a long time, I think I should mention I know a bit more about how bad it can get when there's practically no rain. Next time the Houston area gets some of their famous long periods of excessive rain (probably won't be that long), just try to send some our way, okay?
okay..I'll start digging a ditch...you would think with technology such as it is, we could start building interstate waterways where we can send excess water to states having droughts.
A couple years ago I found this on my watering can, put the watering can on the screen porch and kind of forgot about it.
Sometime later I found this on my screenporch!! It is one of the few photos I have of sulphurs because they are so camera shy. I have them in my yard every day, but have very little photographic evidence!
I am having a pretty depressing butterfly year. They were very late in showing up, though this past week things have picked up. I had a few BST cats on my fennel a couple of weeks ago, and some eggs as well, and I figured I'd leave them be because I knew there would be more, and then they just disappeared. Something got them. So last week I brought some in, and I've had three eclose the past two days, so that made me happy. And this week I've brought in over 30 cats in first and second instars. This year I'm prepared, with LOTS of dill and fennel, and some good healthy parsley plants! My passionvines are huge, but I've only see occasional GF's and VF's come thru. None of the cats seem to get very big before something gets them. I've been blaming the lizards, but then tonight I found a wasp attacking one. I was so mad I reached for the wasp but squished the poor cat, and the wasp got away!!!! I'm ready to just pull down all the vines......
I suspect that is what the one in my photo is..I bet the crysalis will be more developed tonight when I get home.
Yes, I was thinking about hiding the one in the picture as I noticed that a swallowtail chrysalis disappeared yesterday..The mockingbirds are very good at finding berries, and probably these as well
My cats seem to disappear, too. I haven't protected any yet this year, but I should.
We got to thinking if one did crawl in the top portion would it be able to get out. The "down stairs" has a much bigger opening.
rj- I think blue jays got a bunch of my bst cats, there were lots outside too, and they disappeared a while ago. Long before they would have pupated.
Rain...well, you could have the 24 in we got in one week...then 1-2 in every other day or so till the last few days...........
Yes, I bet your right...I watched one root out a Cicada today from the tree, and the Cicada fled, but the blue jay was right behind him.
I know a few familiar names on here, hello gang.
My GDs are coming in a few weeks, to spend some time with us. I want to introduce them to the life cycle of butterflies. Will need to go over these thread and learn what to do. I found a pretty caterpillar today, and would like to know, what kind of butterfly he'd transform into. I didn't bring it home, because I didn't know what he feeds on. Any help you guys can give me will be appreciated.
I cruised through here to see what it might be..this is swallow tail butterfly larvae on google images
http://images.google.com/images?gbv=2&hl=en&sa=1&q=swallowtail+butterfly+larvae&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=
hey burn!! I saw several BST's this morning...so thinks may get started. I am hoping for lots of cats this year!
It's really interesting! Where did all these butterflies come from? And now I've got PVS eggs! Something told me to check a few A. fimbiata plants planted where it's not convenient to check them often. Bingo, eggs! This is the second year in a row, maybe I've got enough plants to be on their radar consistently now, at least once or twice a year.
It's a forest tent caterpillar/Malacosoma disstria - it makes a fairly attractive moth.
http://www.clintonnaturecenter.org/low-res-forest-cat.jpg
Sherry
So cool Linda!
I just had a Question Mark at the brew. weee
and…
Those eggs on my pipevine! I better keep up the watering on those pipevines now! There were also a couple tiny cats on the Spicebush and a few eggs.
This message was edited Jun 19, 2009 6:54 PM
Linda...that's not fair!!!!! We get gobs of pipevines at the ranch and I've put out some a. fimbriate around the ranch house but they won't use it. They insist on lays eggs out in the back fields on that dratted a. erecta which is sooooooooo far to find for humans 0 but alas, those pvs have no problem finding it. The only way I ever find it is after the cats are visible and I see them crawling on the stuff :o)
CoNgRaTs Mrs_Ed - a lovely QM indeed!
~ Cat
Well, I had years of them not laying eggs on anything around here! Not even E. erecta. I would take home cats from the few nurseries that had them. I know what you mean, though. With a large cat, a whole A. erecta wouldn't last through the day...chew, swallow, move on! I
Ya know...if the a. erecta leaves were as big as the root - it could feed a whole army of caterpillars. I dug one up a couple of weeks ago after a good 4" rain at the ranch - that root looked like a fat carrot :o)
~ Cat
I see you trying to hide down there in the grass,,,,,,,,,,
Lindatx8, which pipevine is that you have. I have A. tribolata, several only about 2 feet tall right now, the Calico which is huge, and white veined pipevine seedlings that have sprouted.
The BST's were at it again on the dill I was trying to hide behind the house to recover....
Thanks for the Id Sherry, The picture was right on.
Those eggs were on White-veined Dutchman's Pipevine, A. fimbriata. I thought I might have to get some cats or eggs from a nursery I know about if nothing shows up on my own pipevine plants, but apparently that won't be necessary! I thought I saw a PVST butterfly one day lately, but wasn't sure. I've got so many eggs and cats of different kinds all of a sudden. It usually doesn't happen this way...even in fall it's usually more gradual.
My goodness...there must have been Queens earlier than I thought. Eggs started hatching already!
I have Queen's here, but still not much in the way of Monarchs........
Mrs. Ed, that is a great pic it really shows the question mark!!
I got a bad BST pic ....YAY!!!!
Not sure you have a BST there nanny. They usually have two defined rows of white dots on the dorsal side. Look at some of the other ST in your area, maybe a Spicebush or Dark form of Tiger ST.
Nanny, that's a male spicebush swallowtail - he's gorgeous!
Mjsponies - good flirting picture of gulf frits!
A female laid some eggs on my passionvines day before yesterday, so I should have some more to raise soon - I love it when the gulf frits are flying everywhere! They may be common, but they're still one of my faves!
Sherry
hello folks, I am sorry I haven't been on in awhile, there's been bad storms & a tornado here to deal with!! hahaha We are fine & no damages to our home.
Msjponies, I too make those kind of bird houses for my craft bazaars!! I just might think of doing that myself.
I've planted fennel, dill & parsely but no BF eggs yet AND I planted a BF bush but it's not really growing too fast.. it could be our TX heat delaying it a bit. We have temps going into the 100's by the end of the week.
I am "jealous" at y'all's butterflies as I have only had ONE sulphur & a few Fratiileries!! hahahahahahha but I know summer really is just starting so hppefully more will come! My garden is ready for them.. it even won Yard of the Month for May & that was BEFORE it all bloomed!!! hahahaha
Wow, spicebush!!! cool!
Well the rotting bananas are a hit at my house.
Comma. Don't know what kind.
… and open…
And you can't really tell from this, but this was THE biggest Question Mark I have ever seen.
