TST and great spangled fritillary--starting to see more and more butterflies here.
slow year for butterflies?
That's encouraging news, BCH. Still looking for some down here. I saw a sulpher today, and have quite a few hairstreaks. Here is Red-banded Hairstreak.
I've just started seeing GF's here these past couple of days! And I have lots of passionvine left, so we're good. My parsley/dill/fennel plants have been pretty much done for weeks now, except for a little parsley left in a pot. I hadn't checked it for a while, having given up on BST's this year, and noticed yesterday that the stems were there but no leaves, and there were cats on the stems!! I moved them to my rue plants (and now have a horrible rue rash) and they're munching there now, and will hopefully not be spotted by the cardinals.
I'm getting so educated by this butterfly thread. I see the Red-banded hairstreak here, never captured one in a photo...but now I know what it is...thanks to your photograph. I have seen lots of GF's this year, but I what I haven't seen s the Zebra Longwings, and usually by now seeing them also. I am seeing quite a bit of Swallowtails and Monarchs this summer.
Sun, only a few Zebra's last year, and not one this year. And I have Passi's in the shade which is their preference. I think our winters have been
too hard on them. Such a shame as they are one of my favorites.
One of my favorite photos from 2 years ago.....
Zebra on Torch Flower...........
I haven't seen a Zebra here, but those shots look lovely!
Very pretty! I am growing P. incarnata in flowerpots on the porch in full sun. How much shade can they do? I have one growing wild up the wrought iron railing on the front porch in shade, but it's a different species.
I found a BST cat on my parsley yesterday but haven't collected it.
My swamp milkweed/A. incarnata looks soooo bad! Leaves dropping and yellowing. Not sure if that's from drought or what.
Still looking for monarch cats.
Keep you posted.
A.
Amanda my milkweed is dropping leaves now also...I just cut them down after the flower is gone and they grow back up from the ground again. I think they did this last year also, and I got new flowers again before the freezes. I have several plants that get pretty leggy this time of year and I cut them back and still get rewarded with new blooms before winter... bat face is another one and some of my salvias, that I cut back. They all always come back better and thicker each year. Plus new plants pop up around the yard from the seedlings...especially in my flower pots.
I have four passi plants, all are in morning sun and afternoon shade. The do usually attract the Zebras. I have only seen a few GF cats this year, despite seeing a lot of the butterflies, and they are usually really chowing on my passi's by this time of year. Hopefully we won't have all those hard freezes again this winter...but with the weird weather that has been going on....doubt it.
Thanks for this - I wouldn't cut the milkweeds down at this time of year for fear I would be removing eggs and/or caterpillars!
I'm sure they would grow back if I did - that would be my natural tendency, but I suppose I will have to wait for spring.
I am not sure if I have ever seen a Zebra here, but I plant the passionflowers just in case. :)
Enjoy the afternoon!
A.
Oh defiantly check for eggs. I don't cut back if there are some...but last year they had nothing to lay eggs on left...we had a really dry summer last year, I think that is why they were dying back so early. I still have some leaves on mine and the flowers are still there this year, some have died back on their own and I see sprouts from the ground now. I do have eggs on the ones with flowers...so leaving them alone. Monarchs have been abundant this year...but we also have our normal rain this year.
FYI, thus far I saw but a few Monarch this year. So far no eggs were found here. :((
Looked closely at the parsley yesterday and collected 8 cats last night. Picked up a bunch of organic parsley. Add bugs and frass. Quite a sight. :)
Saw some eggs on the parsley - the plants are really not enough to support so many cats but I didn't feel good about defoliating them to collect eggs too. I saw a red ant (!) passing by settle on the plant and my BF said "ants need to eat too." HA!
O well.
I have several types of MW so the loss of the A. incarnata is not devastating. There is one plant in the driveway I have been watering daily now. It's the only one that hasn't started shedding leaves. It is also the plant I discover cats on first every year. If they come/when they come it'll be okay. Probably should plan on mulching extra heavily around the incarnata for next year.
Keep you posted.
A.
This message was edited Sep 1, 2011 11:41 AM
Thought I would share an article Dale Clark had in the Dallas paper recently. I posted on the daily photo thread...here is the link. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8788704
Thank you Sheila for posting the article, I am keeping the faith too and it sure is a lot of work, but we do what we must for our beautiful friends.
Josephine.
Finally, an article that addresses it as more than a local issue! Thanks for sharing, Sheila.
Maybe I'm in for a few more before the season's over......um, by the way, this is three GFs. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I am about BFs could shed a little light on this. I'm curious.
I've spotted several of these Buckeyes on my Angelonias in the last couple of days.
The butterflies are finally here! Several Monarchs, Red Admirals, a Gulf Fritillary, and a black Swallowtail that I couldn't get close enough to ID. My Lantana bloomed heavily after the recent rain and it's now covered in butterflies. Yeah!
Carla
That's so great, Carla! I hope there are enough butterfly gardens to sustain them on their way.
A.
Good news Carla! Glad to hear you are providing one of the oasis spots for them.
The monarchs have increased around here too, it sure is nice to see them.
I have been very busy with family medical issues, but managed to get 25 Monarchs tagged so far. I figure this next few days will be the best time to get the rest tagged, as we have temps beginning to dip mid week.
Glad to hear from you Sheila. I still have over a dozen sulfur chrysalis and over a dozen BST that will overwinter. Released the last Monarch this week and felt good about it. Lots of skippers this week and saw a monarch winging it's way south over the house about an hour ago. :)
I had four Monarchs in the garden this morning -- more than I've had at one time all year.
I've seen sporadical lone traveler(s) Monarch all through the days, different time of day ect. They do not linger for nectaring long, then appeared to move onward with their journey South.
Nice picture Mary!
Lily...They don't come around here any particular time of day either. There is sun somewhere in my yard all day, so they are apt to be anywhere too.
I have seen them intermittently for the last several days. Most at one time was 4. Thought one was going to land on my shoulder as he hesitated and went to the next flower. My yard thinks it is spring and is covered with blossoms of all ilk.
Sheila, thinking about you and Herman.
Use all of the T & P right now Christi. He is home now and going three times a week for therapy. Today he cancelled it because he was feeling dizzy. I think one of his meds is the culprit so he is going to take it later in the day tomorrow.
Can't hardly see it, but I've been releasing the sleepy orange sulfurs for weeks now. They are so lovely with their bright yellow/orange flitting everywhere.
Mid upper left zinnia with orange blob on the bloom is my best attempt to get a still. :)
Saw skippers, a cabbage white, and a monarch today besides the sulfurs.
Can't remember if I posted these on another thread or not, but I hope you enjoy. :)
It is so nice to finally see butterflies!!! The Monarchs enjoy the Tithonia.
Carla
We are also seeing them come thru town 2 or 3 at a time. :)
Great photo Carla! I haven't had many this week due to the southerly winds. After the sun and calmer winds maybe I can get the last 10 tags used up today.