I do not know what kind of butterfly this is.......but he was very friendly and just wanted to hang out with me......for like 10 minutes. Is this common? My DH and I were at a BBQ at some friends on the 4th when this happened. This guy just flew over and stayed.
Hello Morganc,
Very cool! That's a Varigated Fritillary.
It doesn't happen too often, but every once in awhile you'll make a new friend! They like the salt and minerals from your sweat and they can smell it in the air. you were providing some much needed nourishment for it :)
Here's a video you might enjoy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNNUrFA9Ub4
This message was edited Jul 22, 2009 2:33 PM
This message was edited Jul 22, 2009 3:04 PM
That's true, it does happen on occasion. On taking a close look at the butterfly, I wonder if it might be one of the hackberry-type butterflies instead. They can be very friendly! I remember years ago DH and I were eating at a restaurant with an open wrap around porch. A lovely little butterfly joined us and amused us for quite a while walking around the table and tasting some buttered bread, if I recall correctly. That one was probably either Empress Leilia or Empress Antonia, I forget which. Unfortunately, I rarely see those around here.
Am in agreement with LInda - looks more like Hackberry Emperor - they as well as Tawny Emperors and Empress Leilias are quick to land on people :o) Don't ya just love when they do that!!! Must be careful though - when you're outside and spray on mosquito repellant - that could harm the butterfly.
~ Cat
ps...we get a variety of brushfoots that will land on people seeking salts from sweat - Malachites are the coolest ones!!!
I had no mosquito repellant on, just glowing with persperation. :-) And I actually forgot about how hot it was when this little guy came around. So I might have helped him with my salty sweat (glow) but he helped me as well by giving me something wonderful to turn my attention to.
Morgan,
I mention the mosquito spray because many of our parks have woody and damp areas which are full of hungry skeeters and other areas have chiggers. We have to use insect repellant just to be able to walk around without getting all the blood sucked out of us. Since we get hoards of butterflies on bait logs - they'll fly up when we walk by and sometimes land on us. We must shoo them off before they try to taste us with their proboscis and get sick or die.
You should try putting out a fruit tray or butterfly brew out just to see what will come to it. Am sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.
~ Cat
Deffinately not a gulf fritillary, The circles are more ditinct
Cat--Are those oranges you are feeding them? I never knew you could do that. We have TONS of flowers they hang out at, but you can feed them?
And the one that landed on me looks like these guys in your pic.
Pam
Pam,
Yes, oranges, mashed up bananas and some butterfly brew. Mainly butterflies from the brushfoot family will frequent fruits and other stuff. Sulphurs are notorious for mudpuddling :o)
If you click on my screenname on the right side of my posting - you can then scroll down to "Actions" and from there open up "Read TexasPuddyPrint's Garden Diary" - on there I have a tab called “Butterflies that enjoy fruit, brew, scat, mud and re-hydrated upchuck”
Or this link should take you to it
http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/TexasPuddyPrint/12610/
~ Cat
This message was edited Jul 24, 2009 11:13 AM
So how do you make this butterfly brew?
Pam,
The recipe and instructions are on that tab. Just remember to vent! Vent! Vent!
~ Cat
As you can tell by this Guatemalan Cracker's face - it must be deeeeee-licious!!!
OMG........he looks adorable! Like a kid with a milkshake!
I must make some of this brew.
