Daily pictures #96

Sheila -- I have buried three of my dogs on the property with an appropriate plant on top of them to represent a particular aspect of their personality. Lucy has a Winter Honeysuckle, because she was so sweet; Booger an Aromatic Sumac because the last few years of his life his breath was very "aromatic"; and Ethel an Agarita, because of both the sweet smelling flowers and the pointed leaves that could jab you (she had a temper).

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

LOL!! Very creative Dale! Good idea Amanda, since so much of the area was filled with her scent over the years. Mine don't seem to have a particular spot other than where I walk! LOL!

I got up early yesterday morning and as is my habit opened the front door and see what and who is on the street. I noticed movement in the flower bed. It was a Sphinx moth having a late meal on the Black & Blue salvia and the native Phlox. Got the camera right quick and it complied. Maybe the Pink-Spotted Hawk moth?

Hi everyone! I'm visiting grandma in WV so I'm away from technology. Had to drive two towns over to the McDonalds to get WiFi. Grandma's neighbor has a butterfly bush with lots of activity. I've seen tons of skippers, Silver Spotted Skippers, an American Lady, a Painted Lady, a Tiger ST, a Pipevine ST, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur...I think that's it. Expect lots of pictures when I get back. I haven't found any caterpillars yet, but I haven't given up looking.

My house made it through Tropical Storm Debby just fine according to the neighbors. Right now we're battling 100 degree weather which actually isn't that bad since the humidity is low and it actually cools off at night. Still enjoying the air conditioning, though.

Glad the butterfly activity seems to be picking up for everyone. Keep those pictures coming!

Melanie

Sheila: That's a White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata). They will fly during the day sometimes, as well as night.

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

Yay! BST cats and GF chrysalis! I was starting to get a little depressed because I haven't seen as many BF's around lately....I guess they are coming around when I am not outside because I found 3 BST cats on my Italian Parsley and 2 GF chrysalis on the Passiflora! Can't wait to see them up close.

Russell

Great Spangled Fritillary couldn't get enough of my coneflowers.

Thanks for the id Dale. Had this cat from a while back, not sure I remember how it got tagged as a Pink-spotted....is it?...or a White-lined Sphinx too?

Glad you didn't get any damage to your place Mellie...looked pretty bad in some areas. Hope the butterflies down there had sense enough to take off before all that came in.

Congrats Russell....keep going now!
Beautiful GSF pics!

Wow Sheila...that is a crazy looking cat there!. Is that plumbago? I saw a tersa sphinx moth cat munching away on my pentas a couple of days ago. It is gone now though. Soon to make another cool looking moth. We had a lot of rain the last couple of days and the plants are really perking up around the yard. There should be some great activity soon. I know the mosquitoes have already started to multiply..LOL.

Russell

The mosquitoes are trying to carry us off here too! Yes, but it wasn't feeding on it that I know of.

I believe a pipevine. Only the 2nd one I've seen here.

Beautiful Pipevine butterfly Bruce. For some reason, Sheila we seem to get less of those pesky skeeters around here. I saw a black from ST and a yellow ST, plus a Sulpher and skippers. Ready for more.

Wonderful images of butterflies and Moth guys. Thinking of you all, who are experiencing that terrible heat wave. Hope relief come soon.

I know this is a Skipper, but don't know which one? And the one with the three butterflies, are they all Fritillary? I searched for the Orange and could not find one with that dark orange, but the ones which I thought were Pearl crescent, were among the Fritillary butterflies, a bit confused here.
I've only seen this Hummingbird clear-winged moth a few time in my life. It was a treat to get a pic of it.
and this brown little skipper. If you can ID them for me I'd appreciate it.

eight spotted forrester moth?

Now that is a cool moth! Thanks for sharing.

Russell

A Great Spangled Frit again!

black swallowtail eclosed today.

Spring azure

Congrats Bruce on the the BST eclosure! I'm with Russell, I like that cool looking moth above. I'd like to see more of the Spring azure around here.

Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) hanging out on some Garden/Summer Phlox.

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

Wow Dale that is a nice shot.

Enjoyed all the wonderful photos...like to check in and catch up periodically.

No photos but I do have some monarch cats again, and lots of Gulf frit cats. Tons of hummingbirds, just love to sit outside in the late evenings watching them...but can never get a good photo.

Had a brief storm blow through and as it was approaching all the butterflies in my flight cage started settling down to ride it out. These Giant Swallowtails (Papilio cresphontes) often roost in loose congregations like this (and with wings open).

Dale, that's neat!!! I've here one of the Southern beauty; the Great Blue Hairstreak (Atlides halesus).

Ok, let's try that one more time. :)) Such beautiful little one!

Found this guy munching away on A tuberosa.

Such clear images! Nice find Bruce. I'm having those type of cats. withdrawal. Haven't seen them last year, and thus far none this year. I suppose they'll get here in the fall. But I'm getting impatience!!! :((

Bruce lovely moth picture - I'm amazed at the diversity you have in your neck of the woods. I am starting to think that because I live so near the GSO arboretum and that one of our restored streams that travels near our neighborhood has lots of milkweeds and such sat I am being passed by/passed over.

It's okay - I do tend to have a fascinating collection of pollinators - but I do miss the butterflies.

Keep those images coming! Lily and I will have to be content with yours.

A.

p.s. started a new job recently so I've been AWOL.

I had 12 BST cats on the fennel...they have all started to go off now. One has made its chrysalis on a nearby daylily scape, one on a daylily leaf and one at the top of the fennel plant!

Yay! A successful hatch. What a beauty - carefully released into the garden this afternoon.

Russell

Congrats Russell! She's a beauty.

Nan, hope you'll be seing everyone one of those 12 future BST jewels in flight. Nice job Russell! Great pix too.

Thanks Russell! :)

BST on the daylily scape......If I water I will be paying more attention now!

Hah! Nan, I'm so glad you looked, otherwise, myself? I would have cut those scapes down and wouldn't have paid attention! Jumping with joy for future BST butterflies!

Currently I've 4 chrysalid, 2 took on the straw/brown coloration, other two look green just like yours. Mine are indoor. ^^_^^

that's pretty cool

I can't believe this! My first BST eclosed just a little bit earlier ... today. It took the Chrysalis merely 10 days from pupation to eclosure. This is a personal record for me. As I recalled in the past it took more than 2 weeks duration! Whoa!!!

Great success all of you....nice pics too!! I have several BST in chrysalis now, with several more feeding. My last Pipevine hasn't emerged so I think it may be a gonner but won't give up yet. I can't see any holes or discoloration.

Thank you Bruce, I'm very pleased with the success. I've various spot in the garden with Parsley and Dills, I hope to find more cats. but haven't (found any) so far. Sheila, hope you will succeed with the Pipevine butterfly.

OT; but it's essential~

< i > For those of us that gardening in regions that are known to be affected with Tick bites. Take good care for I'm being work-up for RMSF. (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) . The danger of the disease could be serious if left untreated. Happy butterfly gardening everyone.

This message was edited Jul 14, 2012 8:25 AM

First red spotted purple of the season