Daily Butterfly (etc.) Pictures. #95

No butterflies lately around the house, but I did get a glimpse of this beauty....no idea what it is, but Wow! It was hiding in a tree next door and was difficult to get centered in the frame. I got this one half way decent shot before it took off to parts unknown. Any ideas on the ID? (edited with additional info). I looked around the Internet, and it appears to be a female giant black witch moth. The flash really brought out the colors - the spots almost look iridescent.

Russell

This message was edited Jun 7, 2012 7:08 AM

That moth is so beautiful Russell.

Russell.....I haven't seen one but remember someone getting an id before as a witch moth, but not sure which one it is; Dale will give us more info maybe. Great picture!

really nice colors Russell.

Thanks all. No sign of her tonight. That was the largest moth I have seen around here. I would say the wingspan was around 6 inches or so. Glad to get some action around...I wonder if the lack of drought has spread the BFs out a little more than last year. My yard was an oasis last year, now I am just another spot with flowers...hehe.

Russell

Wow Russell, I didn't realize that moth was so large. It is very pretty; thanks for sharing it with us!

Melanie

Russell......here is the old post with the id on the Black Witch Moth.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1109750/?hl=black+witch+moth#top

Well my bf season hasn't been to active this year,saw a buckeye bf and a little ruby hummingbird today.

Thanks Sheila. Looks like the male is stunning too. I wish I had been able to get more picture of her....very skittish, and she was fairly high up in the neighbor's tree, so I had to shoot blind and hope for a decent picture.

Russell

My first Giant ST emerged today and I didn't notice until its wings were dry and he was flapping around in the critter keeper. He flew away as soon as I opened it and went to hide on my milkweed. Here he is playing peek-a-boo with me.

Melanie

Had one today but I am not sure who it is.....some sort of Frit I presume.

This message was edited Jun 9, 2012 8:29 PM

Great Spangled. You can tell from the light-colored band.

Nice Melanie! GSTs I believe are my favorites and I hardly get to see them any more.

thank you Mrs Ed!

Congrats on the GST Melanie....but you know I am positive, that the wings aren't ever "wet" LOL!! They do have to harden of course...sorry couldn't resist poking fun at you! Aren't they the most beautiful?,... my favorite among those I have raised.

Nanny great shots!

Hi,
Some of you know that I lurk (alot), but rarely say anything (don't know much so have nothing I can add). The Butterflies in my yard all seem to be common ones, but I LOVE them all...even had a Red Admiral that kept landing on my shirt and seemed very happy there.

These pics aren't very good, but they look to me like one of LEW_TEX that he called an American Lady. Is that what this is?

THANKS...You guys are all like Butterfly Gods to me. I'm sooo amazed at how much you know.

yep, that's an american lady. you can tell because it has two eyespots instead of the four that a painted lady would have. I knew nothing until I got a book and started photographing everything I could find, then IDing it with the book. You'd be surprised how much you can learn.

This male monarch must have been waiting for a female to come along.

And An eastern tailed-blue. I had a hard time getting up off the ground after taking this picture. hahah.

THANK YOU!!!

I thought about getting a book last year, but there weren't too many butterflies so I just kind of forgot about it. I'll probably get a pile of butterfly books from the library. For me it's always a great way to find the ones I like while learning about different subjects. I love the internet, but sometimes it's nice to just quickly grab a book or even take it outside with me.

You are welcome. It's quicker to browse through a book that has like colors and shapes. I use Kauffman's. I like how it has pictures on the right page and descriptions on the left. On most pages it also has a silhouette that is "actual size".

I have some books, but still would rather take a picture and enlarge it on the computer first. Guess it is because I can't see it well enough outside to identify.

That said.....I knew nothing much about butterflies until I found Davesgarden.com and started participating on this forum! We learn something from each other each day if we are open to it.

This message was edited Jun 12, 2012 11:17 AM

I agree, I can't ID in the field. I have to get a pix then look at the books. Some of the other monitors net and put in a capture jar to ID. I'm too fat to go after them by net though. HA. So I just capture via photo. That way I can send pix off to others if I can't ID.

Sheila_FW wrote

We are still seeing a few lone Monarchs off and on. I have had one large beautiful male cruising the garden for two days waiting on a mate. I told him he may be an old man before he sees one!

in a lull here too.

Not much here either.

Cabbage whites - no BST or sulfurs or skippers or anything -lots of honey bees and bumbles and other pollinators. An occasional hummer.

Awww, not much butterflies anywhere? I saw a beautiful Tiger Swallowtail on this Orange Tiger lily. By the time I fetched my camera, the butterfly was already gone! Oh, we have an abundant of Queen Ann Lace blooming in the wild here, could some one tell me what they're hostplant to please?

If you look out on LepFarmer's website it shows the info for Texas; but I know Black Swallowtails are one that uses it in the wild here.
www.dallasbutterflies.com Check out butterfly gardening tab on the left.

This message was edited Jun 12, 2012 8:06 PM

Oh thank you Sheila, I'll do some reading.

The plants are many spicebush is one I remember.

Thank you Bruce and Sheila for your responses. I saw a long-tail skipper, and a Gray Hairstreak (?) for the 1st time today.

Question mark and the usual cabbage moths.

My sister came to visit for the last 5 weeks, and wanted to learn how to raise butterflies--she just went back home, and here are a couple of pictures of what she accomplished while she was here; I think she is hooked.

Whoa! She's hooked in a positive way! Congrats to her for accomplished such a delicate task. And bravo to you for being a good teacher Bruce! I would like some measly cats. or eggs donation is appreciated here. lol

What's going on there with the monarchs. Are they on little pieces of paper?

Also amazed that I am apparently completely out of the path!

WTG Sista!!! Another convert!

Marna....There is somewhere on the web showing a person that uses a cup with a paper towel rubber banded for large larva when they quit eating and are ready to pupate. That way all he has to do is pin up the piece of paper towel. I had forgotten about that method, may have to try that.

Found it...it is a video off of his website. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7GVkUNud8

This message was edited Jun 14, 2012 11:16 PM

Does anyone here know what moth this is?

Evelyn -- It is one of the "Emeralds". I'm guessing Columbian Emerald Moth (Nemoria darwiniata).


Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com

I found this lone BST cat on the fennel the other day. I think the catbirds have enjoyed some of the cats...I see them hanging out by it a lot! I would have brought it in but we are leaving on vacation Sunday, and our son while happy to watch the dog...not so much a caterpillar! lol

Thanks Shelia. That's interesting. I saw that before but didn't recognize that's what it was. pretty cool.