Hmmm...when I tried to view the blooms the photo doesn't show up. Trying again.
~ Cat
Oh my Gosh! Oh My Gosh!
My rue hasn't gotten that tall yet, but it could be because the first year I had it, I ended up using it for my caterpillars because they'd eaten up all my dill and fennel and parsley. Maybe this year it will have a chance to grow more!
Hummm, ~Cat, thank you. I looked up common Rue, and I found exactly your Rue. I'm gonna have to send mine for I.D. Thank you. Mine is as tall as me, but very delicate looking.
I have the one that Cat has. Here is a close up of the flower with a egg. The BST will use Rue here over the citrus trees I have, maybe because I haven't had the trees in the same place as long as the Rue.
I saw the egg! And definately mine isn't Rue! Thank you Sheila and ~Cat. Good lucks Steph. and Thea.
Yesterday, I separated out the dill and I have 4 first instar cats, 1 2nd instar, and 1 egg! I'm giving 2 of the 1st instars to the neighbor's kids and will keep the rest.
Will they have dill to feed them? Oh I guess your's...LOL! They will enjoy it for a few days. Hopefully they will set them where a parent can remind the kids to feed them.
Their mom is really good about that type of thing. If they need dill, they can come get it from my yard.
Glad you are sharing your babies with the neighbor kids. I loved sending some home with my nephew. I guess the first time he raised the butterflies from a kit, he cried when he had to let them go! LOL. But now he's on board.
Lilly Love, I know that we have Meadow Rue around here that has a similar flower as yours. But, it still has that sort of columbine-like leaf.
Holy Moly, my butterfly weed is blooming. At least the Gay Butterflies series! I've seen lots of spring/summer azures around lately too.
That's it! Thanks Mrs_Ed. The counpound leaves are born on very slender stalks. Meadow Rue that was it was marked. Still I haven't found any cats or eggs on them for several years now.
I love to get young people excited about the butterflies. My Great Nephew Caden was visiting when a GST emerged and he got to help release it.
It's wonderful when we share the gift of nature. Beautiful memories that last a life time!
:-)
It eclosed today!!
What's beautiful thing we're graced with today. Stephanie, thank you.
Ms. Shiela, that is a nice pic of you and your great nephew. My daughter complains it's too hot outside!
Good going Stephanie! A handsome male - am sure he'll find a female and she'll be frequenting your plants again!!!
~ Cat
Beautiful Stephanie!
Thanks all! I have one more getting ready to pupate and three more in various stages.
All my babies have eclosed. I have empty nest syndrome!
Yea Stephanie!! I had a release yesterday, two females....maybe they will meet down the road. Beautiful shot...you will always remember your first release. Glad too it was a successful one. Glad you are making an effort to save the butterflies.
Thanks Viceroy...that was a year old pic, but the moment is saved to remember.
Jlp...I don't have any large cats now, just brought eggs and first instar in yesterday. All others are in the pupa stage and I am feeling the empty nest just a little. My plants are needing to recoop though, so it is a good thing.
And now your new hobby begins....that's how it all starts. Ist. you talk to Sheila, then you find a cat, and from then on its all over! LOL
I said I wasn't going to raise any this year, however, before I could cover my dill seedlings the Black Swallowtail laid her eggs on them. Way to many to support the amount of eggs she laid. The dill is slow growing and doesn't rebound quickly after they eat it. Soooooo I thought I would try an experiment. I removed all the eggs VERY gently with the back of exacto blade, then with a wet artist brush picked them up and placed them on some curly parsley that I have a bunch of growing. I used the curly because I thought the ruffled leaves would help the eggs from falling off. I knew I had enough growing to support at least a dozen cats. If I ran out I could buy more. I took them inside and within 4 days the eggs hatched and are eating the parsley. I couldn't believe it.
Datura, let us know how your experimental "moving van" works!
Yes, it works for the first instars too. They have to be placed on the parsley but will switch easily at that stage. Not very good luck with the older cats though. They can smell their original host plant and try to travel to it.
Yes, it worked, 10 hatched yesterday and are happily eating. They are still in the house and I am using a florist tube to hold the parsley. I am amazed.
Hiya Datura! Long time no see! Hope all is well with you.
I now have the neighbor kids raising cats and I have a second cat in a chrysalis and #3 is in its hammock. I saw the BST butterfly this morning laying more eggs on my remaining dill. I've decided I'm not raising anymore this year. Uh huh. We'll see how long that lasts! LOL
It won't be a problem to not raise them....that is until you start seeing the wasps, and flies flying around your host plants. Or an assassin bug devour a cat.
Or birdies circling the parsley.
My dill is just about done, so I'm not sure how many more I'll get anyway. I did see her out there laying more eggs yesterday.
That's when I start getting real nervous: too many eggs, not enough food for the future caterpillars!! Happens every year, and you feel so bad because you can't help. The more you plant, the more eggs they lay!!
Amen to that thea! The more you plant...the more lay eggs!!!
You can never have too much of a host plant.
It's funny, every year I increase my milkweed,parsley,dill and others but still find I run out too soon.
....and it makes you feel so bad, doesn't it? We're trying so hard to help, and it's still not enough!
I planted dill for the 1st time this year. Should I let it flower or cut it back? And should I let basil flower?