It's been too quiet here. I blame the cool/cold weather. Here's a photo from last week of a visiting American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis).
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Daily Butterfly Pictures Page 83
And here's a Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes). Had several of these in the yard this year. Used to be that this was a rare visitor to North Texas but for the past ten years it's shown up every year. This year they were more common than the usual tailed skipper we get - Long Tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus).
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
That is neat Dale, they sure love the Bluemistflower and the Duranta don't they?
One of four, my son took for me. I think it's a Giant No. American Swallowtail? It had gotten wedged between the wall and baseboard of the gh.
Before I forget, thanks Sheila for the info on how to post in Files. : - )
After the b.fly flew off my hand, it landed on one of the fairy lights. You can see it's underside! : - )
This is #2 of four.
This message was edited Nov 16, 2010 12:53 PM
Three of four.
Very glad ES was there to help. : - )
Now if only I could get him to center the b.fly in the frame. Even still, very happy with the outcome. Kid did good. : - )
This is #4 of 4.
Loved seeing all the beauty flies. : - )
Walk In Beauty!
SingingWolf
I've got a question about the butterfly brew. Does it have to be a specific type of beer or any beer will work as well??
well I think that recipes usually call for a dark stout.
I don't drink so I really know nothing about beers and what makes them different. A dark stount meaning a dark colored beer???
Have had folks out here use whatever beer is cheap - but I usually buy guiness stout or warsteiner. Guess anything with some yeast in it to help with the fermentation process works.
I've also started adding a splash of blackberry or cherry brandy to my mix. Seems to have a powerful scent. Not sure what it is but as soon as I open the jug and before I even pour it on the bait logs the butterflies start showing up. Must be the smell :o) or we've created a bunch of alcoholic butterflies looking for a fix!!!
~ Cat
That's what my DH keeps saying Cat.
I can see the butterflies meeting at AA (Butterfly Chapter) I succumbed to the brew but I've been clean for 4 days. I wonder if they ran out of bananas....LOL
Hi, I'm a Longtail Skipper and I'm an alcoholic.
Hi Longtail Skipper!
Well no butterfly today not that there aren't any around because I counted 6 Gulf Fritillaries this morning around my passion vine as well as 3 Julias sipping on the lantanas and a monarch trying to get to the milkweed to lay more eggs (insert angry face) Not that I don't want the monarch to reproduce but my milkweeds are in bare canes. There are like 10 caterpillars munching away 3 new ones that I had to purchase on Sunday. Well here is what I took a picture of today. It looks like some type of Sulphur caterpillar as I've seen a sulphur or two flying around the cassia. Any ID will be great
The eggs are layed singly and they are conical in shape. Here is another caterpillar. I counted 5 so far.
Look up the Clouded Sulphur...could be that one. I haven't been fortunate enought to raise them yet.
funny on the AA for butterflies .....!!LOL!!
This message was edited Nov 17, 2010 9:28 AM
Thank you Sheila. It does look like the caterpillars of the Cloudless. It's still in one of the early instars so no green coloration yet but at the rate that they are eating soon they'll be big enough and ready to pupate.
I think I remember being told they are green when eating leaves and yellow when they eat the flowers.
Finally! Something interesting in the yard today -- a male Julia Longwing/Heliconian (Dryas iulia). This photo isn't the individual in the yard from today, but one I had a photo of from a couple of years ago. They make it up to north Texas with some regularity, but usually not until late in the year. It's been a pretty boring year for stray butterflies in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area this year, so it was a nice surprise to find. Only one more day before the big cold front hits and we get our first real freeze. Ugh!
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Dale, that is gorgeous, I hope I get to see one sometime.
Seeing them isn't hard at the Butterfly Exhibit at Botanic Garden when they have it. Of course those are brought in as pupa. LOL!
Dale....I guess the strong south winds the last few days drove them up. Patrob said they are expecting 27 in Goldwaithe tonight, and San Antonio will be 37. That Julia may be in E TX by now!
We were bringing in hanging plants and two butterflies came out of the foliage. We turned off the lights and opened the door and they flew out. Looked like Question Marks, but didn't try to find out.
We are having a lot of butterflies down here lately. I'm soo very happy. The monarchs are back in full force laying eggs. Right now I've got 3 chrysalids and some caterpillars munching on the milkweed. The Gulf Fritillaries are a breeding machine and I need to get me a corcky stemmed passionvine for the Julias. They come and nectar and males fight here and everything but now eggs or caterpillars since I don't have their host plant. The Butterfly Garden at Fairchild Botanical Gardens was soo lively this past weekend. Monarchs, Queen, Julias, White Peacocks, Zebra Heliconian, Atala Hairstreak, Gulf Fritillaries, Buckeyes, Polydamas swallowtail, Giant swallowtail and a buch of sulphurs which I still can't tell apart as well as skippers.
Wow! you guys are lucky, we have had Queens and Monarchs and a few others, but after last night's cold spell I don't know how it is going to be, we had a 50 degree drop on temperature in a 24 hour period, but as far as I can tell this morning my plants didn't freeze last night, so we shall see.
Well let's make that 2 chrysalids and one butterfly and by the look of the other two chrysalids they are going to eclose either tomorrow or Sunday.
Here are the chrysalids
Last one. By the way the butterfly that just eclosed is a male. When it opened it's wings I was able to see his scent glands.
This message was edited Nov 26, 2010 8:57 AM
Those Monarchs are sooo beautiful!!!!
Josephine:
I had no noticeable freeze damage at my place, 20 miles south of Dallas. Not even the tropical things like Mexican Flame Vine or Duranta. I was up at 4:30 checking the heaters in the greenhouses and it was right at 32 degrees then. Lots of things still flying this morning -- monarchs, queens, gulf fritillaries, sachem, fiery skipper, american lady and others. We'll see how cold it gets tonight. Anyone else ready for Spring?
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
I am, I am!!!
Ice on the pond this morning. :(
Yes, I am ready for Spring, as a matter of fact I start getting mentally ready for Spring as soon as plants start to decline in Fall, I hate to see them go to sleep.
I do have butterflies out there this morning even though it is cool, but in the sunny areas they are having a good time.
I hate to see things decline too. But it makes us appreciate the spring flowers by the time it rolls around so much more.
I saw a yellow sulpher and a small black butterfly (red striped admiral maybe) flittering around my yard Wednesday. We've already had a few light freezes, and had a harder one Wednesday night. I was quite surprised to see them. Hope they found a warm place to go!!!!
I was too busy yesterday with family here to notice, but it did get warmer through the middle of the day, but another freeze last night.
A more widespread freeze last night...but still didn't kill all the plants. The Crucita (Chromolaena odorata....formerly Eupatorium odoratum) is still going strong as you can see in this photo and is covered with monarchs, queens and various skippers. Lots of things still flying and since they survived last night they've got a reprieve as no more really cold nights ahead for a while.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
The Mexican Flamevine also survived the freeze, or at least some of it. This Queen is enjoying the blooms on this particular plant, but if you look in the background to her left you'll see some orange blooms. Another flamevine did not fair as well as the bottom eighteen inches froze and, as yet, word hasn't reached the top of the plant that it's doomed. It was a long night as the new heaters in the big flight cage, seen in the background, were acting up and it was a little touch-and-go for a while, until I finally got them functioning properly at 1:00 a.m. Ugh! I REALLY don't like winter.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Bless you Dale, having to stay up late fighting the cold weather is no fun, I don't like winter either.
Why don't we all move to a frost free zone and build a colony for butterfly lovers?
Sounds good to me...first one to win the lottery bring it on!
I had Queens and a couple Monarchs feeding today, also a Pipevine. Won't be long and there won't be much left for nectar.
I have a six year, almost 7 yr old to chase after inside then outside with two dogs.....not much time to watch for bfs today.
This message was edited Nov 27, 2010 8:58 PM
Is it Spring yet???
Spring? Noooooooo...please wait!!! We're finally getting to enjoy some cool temps out here!!! Lots of uncommon and rare butterflies have been making appearances. I've been busy with work so haven't had much time to hit the NABA NBC park...but still, it's good to know others are getting to enjoy and photograph them!
~ Cat