I needed more pawpaw for the piggies, so I went to my favorite hunting spot. I picked up three more cats and four eggs (two have hatched already). There were plenty of Zebra Swallowtail adults flying around, but it sure is hard to get a picture. They're fast and don't stay in one place for long!
Zebra ST cats range from green to black, but I found one that is so pale he's almost white. He molted since this picture and he's still that pale color. You can see how much greener the big guy is in comparison.
After collecting my pawpaw and associated caterpillars, I headed to the front of the property to check the willows for Viceroys. I didn't see any, but I found something better! I spotted a Red Admiral puddling right inside the entrance. This is usually our driest season, but the El Nino effect has brought us quite a bit of rain. I rarely see butterflies puddling around here - maybe because our soil has so few nutrients in it? I ended up catching this guy in a tupperware container (on my third try, too)! I released him at my house in hopes he'll find the other RA that's been flying around. I'm hoping since I removed the moth cats from the pellitory the RAs will move in. Maybe that's why I haven't been finding any?
Melanie
Glad to see you are back posting your abundant finds Mellie. Wow, how impressive those many cats you already have. I'm happy to hear Monarchs are healthy and well there.
I've been so busy with all these critters! I actually forgot to mention that I found a Cloudless Sulphur on my cassia. I only found one which is really weird. Did Mama Butterfly get interrupted? I'm still waiting for Monarch cats to show up at my house, but at least they've been hitting up the museum in the last few weeks.
Oh, I was outside emptying the compost pail the other day when I saw my first Buckeye. Naturally, I didn't have my camera. I'm still seeing the Giant ST in my neighborhood, but no more eggs. While hiking I saw both Spicebush and Palamedes STs but no cats (I didn't look real hard, though). Dad also spotted the first Checkered White of the year.
I put out some beer tonight for my slug problem - yuck (beer and slugs). We have some over-ripe bananas so maybe tomorrow I'll stir up some butterfly brew. I am determined to raise Red Admirals! And what better way to encourage breeding than by getting them drunk, LOL?
Determination pays off! I found nine Red Admiral cats in my neighbor's pellitory this afternoon!!! I think it helped to know what they looked like and there's a good picture in the Bug Files of the tents they make. It looks a little different on pellitory, but it helped. Luckily, these guys were black, not green like the ones at the museum, because it made them easier to find. And like I always say, once you find the first one it makes it so much easier to find more. Now that I know, I'm dangerous! Tomorrow at the museum I'm going to see if I can find any!!
I also saw a Zebra ST flying in my backyard which was surprising because I hardly ever see them, even after I release them. I was also putting the hose away and when I turned around a Tiger ST went right by me! I forget who it was, but a while back someone posted a Tiger ST that was so pale it looked white instead of yellow. This one was the same way - maybe it was old and lost scales or it's just a genetic variation. I also had my first Gulf Frit lay me eggs. Of course, she chose my "Lavender Lady" passion vine for her children. No common species for this mama butterfly!
We are being inundated with dragonflies right now and they're making me crazy thinking they're butterflies. I thought this one was really pretty so I took a picture of him.
I have dozens of these plants blooming, but so far yesterday was the first Monarch I have seen so far this year.
Second pic.
Boy Melanie, you have been busy. Am going ot check out the RA tent pics in Bug File.
GP...pretty pics on a dark rainy day here in Indiana.
Thanks, nanny....this pretty Gult Frit came by this morning.
I believe I saw a Monarch yesterday!! It was too far away however.. it was large & orange..so I am presuming it's a Monarch.
Dale.. I have had decaying citrus outside for a week now & no show's! hahaha... but I'm not giving up! hahahah
I have had a Frit though.. a small one.. I get a lot of them.
My milkweed is growing...so i am hoping that Monarch I saw was a female!! hahaha
Just beautiful,, the ETS and the Native azalea
I have to get to Selby gardens next time I get down that way
I LOVE this picture!
Ooh, such cool butterflies! jpl222, that is a really good shot of the Viceroy! They're seldom seen here. And the ETS, so pretty! Here's a beauty I caught dining on thistle today...an awe-inspiring creature related to ETS...the Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail!
Very pretty!
I was pretty busy at the museum this weekend - the Monarchs, Eastern Black STs, Buckeyes, and Giant STs were completely out of food. So Melanie had to wait to eat her donut and make sure the piggies got fed first. I'm nice like that. Plus, I needed to clean up the Monarch frass smell before I could eat anyway.
I found three more Monarch cats, not that we need any more considering we have two tanks full. We must have had about 50 hanging on top in the process of pupating. Then there were about another 50 that I split between two tanks. There were a few babies on the milkweed in the flight cage but I just left them to grow up a bit.
I caught a couple of adult Gulf Frits and put them in the flight cage - they've been laying eggs as we have several cats on the passion vine. Gulf Frits can be hard to raise in captivity (they tend to get this weird disease) so we have to maintain our population inside the flight cage.
It was really windy as there was a bad front coming through; I guess it's the one that spawned the tornadoes in MS. We had thunder and lightning here like crazy last night! Not good butterfly weather, but the plants need the rain.
I found another Red Admiral cat today and I found one yesterday at the museum, too! The bad news is, I think I'm allergic to pellitory. I've been sneezing my fool head off but the Allegra-D helps. Even if I only raise them this once, I can always take them to the museum in the future so everyone can enjoy them.
In other good news, the lone sulphur I'm raising has shown himself to be an Orange-Barred Sulphur. I had assumed Cloudless since that's all I'd seen flying, but now I can see his pattern. Mom had reported to seeing a "big, orange sulphur" a few weeks ago so I had to show her my caterpillar to tell her she was right.
Speaking of Selby...I hope everyone is aware of the American Horticultural Society's reciprocal membership program. If you're a member of one of their gardens, you can receive benefits at other gardens across the country. Check it out here: http://www.ahs.org/events/reciprocal_events.htm
Since my family is a member of the USF Botanical Gardens ($35 per year), we got in free at Selby (a $17 per person value)! We also got 10% off in the gift/plant shop. Dad didn't even mind buying overpriced sandwiches in the cafe since we got in free. They were good sandwiches though - local bread and organic greens. But I digress...if you belong to one of these gardens, check the list before you go on vacation to see if you can work in a visit to another garden.
For those of you who volunteer or are thinking of it, you generally get a membership after so many hours. I have a membership to MOSI since I worked more than 100 hours in the fiscal year. That membership also has reciprocal benefits. In September (after the tourists leave) I can get in free to Lowry Park Zoo (#1 family zoo in the U.S. - see the manatees!) and also the Florida Aquarium. I still haven't been to the aquarium despite my love for fish and deep ocean exploration. I have a fish tank in my room and we have a bigger one in my living room.
I know the economy is rough, but even when it isn't I still like saving money. I just wanted to let everyone know about these reciprocal programs, especially with vacation season coming up. I imagine there are lots of us on here that belong to different botanical gardens so take full advantage of the benefits!
Melanie
Thanks Melanie.... though you are busy I bet you are having fun too!!! lol
I'm always having fun! One of the Red Admirals became the first to go to the top and get in his J position. Also, the parents spotted a butterfly this morning and after giving Dad the third degree and having him look through some mug shots, we identified the culprit as a Painted Lady. I've got cudweed everywhere so this shouldn't surprise me, but in the last few years I've rarely seen any PLs. Mom still sees the sulphurs but I must have all boys because I don't see any eggs. The False Indigo is blooming and I'm hoping it will attract some more Silver-Spotted Skippers. I had so much fun with the two I had last year. I love their big heads!
Melanie
Cool Melanie!!! Your poor Dad! hahahaha.. I am starting to "train" hubby so hopefully he'll be able to recognize them in the future! lol
My DH is getting pretty good at the Birds, but I think he might draw the line at butterflies. He will say "hey, there's a butterfly in the garden", but he won't care what kind. We'll see if I can change that. Maybe I can make a set of mug shot flash cards and quiz him. lol.
LOL, Marna. I was successfully having DH chasing after butterflies a time or two in the garden. But that is also limited. This year I'm adding a few more plants for the garden, hope to draw more butterflies and hummers as I can.
Here is a Blue milkweed, I'll explore and see if Monarchs will visit these plants. I'm seeing more butterflies darting about, but unable to get any pics. yet.
Thanks Melody, that was a great link the the recp. gardens all around by state. I am a member of the Botanical Society here and have made good use of the gardens in other states.
Great butterfly pictures everyone! I am seeing more each day, but never have a camera handy. The cabbage whites and sulphurs are getting pretty regular now. I did see a Question Mark, a Varigiated Fritillary, and a Hackberry Emperor yesterday. I really wasn't looking either! Winter and dull still flower beds are a thing of the past. So happy spring is here.
I will say that if it catches DH's eye will call me out to tell him what it is. He has learned a couple of them.
Dad is still so proud of himself for getting a picture of that Southern Pearly Eye last fall while he was hunting. My boss at the museum didn't help by requesting to use it in her blog, LOL! I found another Red Admiral cat today while picking food. That makes eleven here and one at the museum. Once you find the first one, it gets so much easier.
Speaking of the museum, I normally volunteer on Sundays, but this weekend they're having a special $5 day on Saturday (where admission is only $5). Lowry Park Zoo does this sometimes and it gets insane. So I figured I'd join the insanity and embrace the opportunity to educate lots of people. The building that houses the flight cage has a room next door that is separated by a glass wall (so you can still see the butterflies). We use it as a classroom or for special events. I'm thinking of setting up some kind of caterpillar petting zoo depending on how many people there are. That way I'll be out of the way of the flight cage and I can get out of the sun and chat with the guests. I'll let you guys know how it goes!
In the meantime, check out the crazy Polyphemus moth cats we've got at the museum. I think they look like cubist art!
Melanie
Mellie, that sounds like fun. I wish we had something like that near me. Callaway Gardens is quite a drive.. Our weather is still very cool. (as in sweats in the mornings) We saw 2 hummers earlier in the week, but not in the past 3 days. And I have changed the feeders every 4 days.
As soon as I stepped onto my screened porch, this Monarch showed up.
I went back out and got this shot into the sun, that's why it's cropped so much.
This one is a bit better.
Very pretty GP! I saw a Red Admiral yesterday while out walking.
I'm so zone envious! Not many butterflies are seen here but maybe one here and there. Thanks all for sharing your butterflies pics.
Speaking of Red Admirals, they are EVERYWHERE up here now. Saw a couple in the yard yesterday, then out at Wal-Mart, then a bunch at the dog park. Saw more at home today.
I hope to see lots more...That is one that DH confuses with the Painted Lady. But at least he tries!
The RA's must be in the middle of a population explosion. Having personally never seen an RA cat before recently, this spring they've shown up on both stinging nettle and pellitory. One of the two I've already released...this one was not as eager to fly away, so it was nice enough to pose for me.
The fall before I really got into butterflies, DH and I were sitting out back and two Red Admirals were playing in the updraft above the air conditioner. They kept going back to it, must have loved it. That was part of the reason I started watching them more in the yard. And, they were easier to photograph than birds, LOL.
hi everyone it has been a while, between work and trying to get the garden back together I have not had much extra time. The garden is alllllllllllllmost who am I kidding its not even close done but coming along nicely I will post pics soon.The activity has been great. I have gone through much parsley,fennel,and plantain.The whites have chewed up their cabbage and mustards and the GF butterflies are out of control. It is Happenin!!!
Red Admiral visited this morning.
sweet!
