I hope someone can answer this question for me...
Are hummers attracted to Mandevilla?
I saw a beautiful new variety at my HD today... But since I have such limited space (6x12 apt balcony), I have to limit my spring/summer purchases.
Thanks in advance!
Have a blessed evening!
Karen
Daily Pictures #94
Wild Rose, They have come to mine, but have a hard time to get to the nectar inside. It wasn't as popular as Asarina vine. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/272297/
Whew! Melanie went to the University of South Florida Botanical Gardens Spring Plant Sale today and I am TIRED! For those who don't know, I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome so normal stuff is hard for me. So I rest up for things I really want to do - like plant sales! I don't get to garden as much anymore, but I live with my parents and they both help me out. Today, Mom came with me to help lug the cart around as we filled it with our favorite plants. I always stop by the Bromeliad Guild booth first, then Mom has to visit the African Violet Society. Good deals all around!
There were also lots of butterflies around - you bring that many plant vendors into one small space and the butterflies go nuts! The gardens also feature a butterfly garden (not as good as mine, in my opinion, LOL). Of course, there were the usual Gulf Fritillaries. This one looked rather nice on a Mexican Sunflower.
The Monarchs were around as well. Glad to know they're not all swarming my house!
I stopped by the butterfly garden in between shopping and saw a Red Admiral and a Cassius Blue.
I was looking at host plants trying to see if I could jack some caterpillars (naughty Melanie) when a Zebra Longwing flew by me. I always feel like I have to have proof of what I see so I finally got a bad picture of one. I must have stood for about 5 minutes waiting for this guy to land. He went for the milkweed nectar this time. I also had a Spicebush nearby so I snapped him, as well.
Speaking of Spicebushes...there's one vendor I don't like much because he sells overpriced hybridized passiflora and looks at you like you're crazy if you ask about the native varieties. But I wandered through his booth anyway just to see what else he had. And he had a Sassafras tree! I'd been looking for a Red Bay tree for my Spicebushies, but I know Sassafras works just as well. Dad taught me what sassafras looks like when we were in WV (I'm on the very southern border of its growth range in FL so I don't see it in the wild) and I went crazy looking for caterpillars. Found some, too! Hooray for Spicebushies!
So I now have to figure out where to plant another tree. My Sweetbay Magnolia is doing just great in the side yard where it's a little wetter. Let's hope the Tiger STs find it soon!
I came home and did a tour of the yard. There was a Gulf Frit cat eating too close to my passiflora flowers, a Clouded Sulphur cat (yellow form) since my Senna has not stopped blooming since November (really!).
This morning I saw two big Monarch cats when I left but I couldn't find them when I came home. I'll keep looking. I also released two more Monarchs so I'm up to a bazillion now. Well, maybe three dozen or so. So far this is a great butterfly season!
By the way, when I bought the sassafras tree the guy told me not to make too much tea out of it and I said I wanted it for Spicebush caterpillars. He said not many people knew about that and I just thought, "I know what all my caterpillars need!" A butterfly garden just isn't whole unless you have host plants.
I also had a few stowaways (cough...Melanie catnapped them...cough) in the form of two Polydamas cats. Maybe I can get my own colony back like I used to have. I hardly saw any last year but again with this mild winter things are definitely progressing at a faster rate than normal.
Melanie
Mellie,
So glad you're having good time with your butterfly gardening! Outstanding pix!
My day just got better. I went outside again to try and find those Monarch cats (found one) and there was a Queen on my milkweed! She's a little ragged but hanging in there. Booyah!
Melanie
Red Admiral today -->
Woo hoo! I won second place in the invasive species photo contest in the bug category. I entered a picture of a Cabbage White. Thanks to those who voted!
Melanie
Congrats Mellie for winning on the invasive species photo contest. All the pics. are lovely everyone. I'm pleased to share with all my Polyphemus (sp?) moth that I noticed this morning in the garden.
"Can you see me?" said the beautiful moth. lol I hope I see the beauty and NOT the birds or the lizard in the garden.
Congratulations Mellie. I had a couple entries over there as well, but in the invasive plants category; even so, both pics featured monarchs.
A silver spotted skipper;
congrats' millie;and that is a nice photo you entered.
Congrats on Second Place Melanie!!
I saw a Silver Spotted Skipper this morning! Did get a photo of it but did get some of this Question Mark. And a Red Admiral...in fact there seemed to be several of these around and a Painted Lady!
I caught this GF depositing eggs on and around my passiflora...this one missed the mark by a bit. She even tried to lay eggs on my camera!
We pulled 7 large GF cats off the Passionflower and 2 monarchs from the MW and brought them inside 2 days ago, they have all changed form before our eyes. I found a few more cats today, but they turned out to be moth cats, and they can escape my hatchery, so they went back outside. Everything is getting munched in the garden, but that's why we plant what we plant, I guess!
Russell
okay, I've a question please. Which butterfly/moth lays egg on oak please?. Russell, that's so wild with the GF trying to deposit egg on your camera. lol
I think Red-spotted purple use Oak.
Thanks Marna, hubby and I took a 4 miles hike on a nature trail nearby yesterday. I harvested an oak seedling with a rolled up leave. I guess there is some tenant inside. I'll keep watch and see. Also I saw many beech leaves rolled up. I guess they maybe some sort of moth's caterpillars?
The nature walk was enchanting. We saw a newly eclosed SBST as evident by its wings were still soft. There were a gazillion Sassafras sapplings.
The trails are full of these beautiful Mountain Laurels in blooms.
Hope this pix is better?
Lily_love:
Literally hundreds (many hundreds) of species of lepidoptera use various types of oaks. Most are moths, but there are a good number of butterflies as well. Numerous spreadwing skippers: Juvenal's Duskywing, Horace's Duskywing, Brizo Duskywing. Hairstreaks, too: Oak Hairstreak, Red Banded Hairstreak, White-M Hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak, to name a few.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Last week:
I saw my first hummer at the feeder yesterday. (4-15-12) I thought I had seen them buzzing around for a few days, but that was my first confirmation.
I have a lot of butterflies already also. We have a lot of red spotted purples here and tons of Oaks!
I was looking for my recipe for Butterfly Brew that has the banana's and beer in it, but can't locate it. Does anyone have this they could give me? You can post it here or d-mail me, which ever you prefer.
THANKS!
The link for the brew is on the forum "sticky".
Wow....just love all the butterfly shots. Mellie you have been busy taking great photos. Lily I like the moth, very striking indeed. Yakmon great close up of that egg. jmorth as always you pics make my eyes pop!
I should be taking photos, I sit and just watch all the butterflies and think I need to go inside and get my camera, but I just sit and watch instead. On Saturday April 7th I saw my first hummer of the season, one of my friends that is a gardener was here and we both just giggled like little girls with excitement. I've now seen a hummer every evening at about sunset. This morning I saw one at sunrise.
I haven't seen anything bother my Gulf frit cats or my sulphur cats. But the wasp are back, so keeping an eye on things. I see Monarchs flying all day long but they don't seem to by laying eggs right now, and I haven't had any Monarch cats for well over a couple weeks now. In fact all my milkweed has grown back nicely and even blooming. Getting ready for the next batch. I'm sure I've had at least thirty monarch cats so far this year. I could find some in the Chrysalis stage, but most I think go into a near by Podocarpus hedge and I can't find them, I notice they love to hang around that hedge.after they are butterflies.
I did get one photo of a sulphur chrysalis on my scheffelara plant. I think this is an orange barred sulphur. Taken April 12th.
I'm just glad everyone is enjoying butterflies, moths and caterpillars again. Keep the photos coming, I'll try and work on mine.
This Spicebush Swallowtail has been nectaring on my plumbagos for the last half hour. There were two of them, both females, so I'm hoping they find my new sassafras tree and leave me some eggs!
Melanie
Thanks Mrs_Ed
TPP in So TX posted the reciepe for butterfly brew on the "sticky" ....here is the link to make it easier. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=2008615
Also a picture of some I had out this last week. It mostly attracts Ques. Marks, Red Admirals, and Hackberry Emperors here. That said notice the moths find it in the dark also!
This Varg. Fritillary was visiting several days. Numerous Red Admirals and an sulphurs around.
Thanks Sheila, I got it. Just need to get a beer and I'm ready to go! (beer for the brew, not me. lol)
I don't have a picture, but my Hercules Club (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) is in bloom and absolutely covered in Red Admirals. I have never seen so many Red Admirals (and what a change from last year when there seemed to be no butterflies at all).
I noticed that my neighbor's Ash tree has several leaves curled up. What type of caterpillar rolls up Ash leaves? I think it's an Arizona Ash.
Carla
Saw a Common Buckeye in the yard today. I had a Tiger ST do a fly by while I was watering and Mom spotted a Zebra Longwing IN OUR YARD while on her walk. So things are looking up. I still can't believe the variety I'm seeing so early in the year. Here's the Buckeye...
In bad news, I was picking up Monarch cats and saw one had died. Then I noticed the bug next to it. Does anyone recognize this bug eating my poor, sweet caterpillar? Don't worry, he met the bottom of my shoe seconds after this picture.
Melanie
The nice people over in the Bug ID forum said this was an assassin bug nymph. I know assassin bugs, but I'd never seen the nymph stage before so I was confused. Glad I squished him!
Melanie
Great that you found out what it was!
I have had so many BF in my yard this year. What a treat from the lack of last year. I've seen red admiral, painted lady, viceroy or monarch and so many others I don't know the name of.
Saw my second hummingbird, or the same one twice, LOL, today. I need to put up the rest of my feeders as there isn't much to feed on right now.
I did get to see two Monarch couples flying around today. It's always funny to see them fly while they're attached. Mom said the boy Monarchs have been very bad - she released a girl and not 15 seconds later came a male and knocked her down. Better than the Zebra Longwings though - they break into the pupa and don't even wait for the girl to emerge!
Melanie (Assassin Bug Stomper)
Geez Mel that sounds a little rough.
I had a heavy heart today when I found one of my BST emerged today with deformed wings. My bad - it had come detached from its own cords and I tried to rig it back up. I guess I didn't do so well and the wings didn't develop - just happened last week. Just sucks to have gone all that time waiting to come out and have some human stick her fingers into it and screw everything up. O well. That was the 8th to emerge. I don't think there are many more, so I can quit worrying about them and fret about Monarchs and maybe sulfurs again this year.
A.
Amanda, I've done my fair share of screwing up. I think we all have. I hate when I have that moment where I think, "Why didn't I just let nature take its course?"
My yard was full of the usual suspects this afternoon. Here's a Cassius Blue on Spanish Needles. The Cassius Blue is now protected in Florida due to its similarity to the Miami Blue.
The usual Gulf Frit on pentas and one of my swarm of Monarchs on milkweed, of course.
And a frayed Painted Lady. I'm surprised I haven't found any caterpillars, but I guess I haven't been looking that hard either.
Melanie
