I was happy this morning to find this butterfly that emerged in my cage. The first one of those kind I've ever raised! I found the little caterpillar on a black cherry tree one day...and today I released this butterfly into the world.
Red-Spotted Purple
of big congrats!!!! I have them around here but have yet to find a cat. I have been looking. I did find a empty chryliss in the willow tree that they also feed on
Wow, s/he's handsome, LindaTX8 ... and fresh off the vine, 'ey!! (heehee)
Hence, enabling you to manage to capture some stunning details and colors of this beauty!
- Magpye
DonnaB, I've been looking for cats on the black cherry trees around my place for about two years. This was the first cat I've found. I just noticed that something had been eating on a leaf...the end of the leaf was gone except for the "vein" part and a tiny cluster of tattered leaf pieces hanging down. And there was a tiny cat on the bare vein part. It was brown and bumpy-looking using a magnifying glass. Since the RSP and the Viceroy look similar as cats, I wasn't sure what I had for quite a while. Oh, BTW, one reason cats may be so hard to find on those black cherry trees is because most of the trees are tall and I can't get to the upper parts to look. Some species of butterflies prefer to lay eggs on the upper part of the tree. Glad you guys like the pic. I've always thought the RSP was gorgeous!
lol I get out the binoculars and look for chewed leaves. Yes they are real good at laying at the tops of the trees. Guess they know they will be safer there