I was doing some yard work right at dusk and looked up to see what appears to be a White Peacock female butterfly settling in for the night in my little Dwarf Poinciana tree. First time I have seen one sleeping upside down! I flashed several shots, she never moved. She must of been zonked out!
Great photo...I missed this post somehow!!!
I've seen numerous sulphurs heading into the greenery of my yellow morning glory vines as it starts to get dark. At the NABA IBP I've seen gobs of queens all gathered on one tree...they look quite pretty all settling in for the night.
~ Cat
Thanks, Cat! Cool isn't it to see them roosting and settling in for the night in a bush or tree or vine! :-)
It would be a drag to be a white butterfly at night and hiding those big white wings. Good shot Becky!
I have found them on the undersides of my hibiscus, brug leaves and in the azaleas
They roost !? Cool! Great pic becky.
I've been out there on the patio at night and never seen one but I have discovered lizards in their sleeping position on my bigger plants. They look so sweet.
How sweet Becky.... Not in the same family, (but slightly similar to cassia), I see the bracts folded together. Did it set any seeds this year?
Cat, don't feel bad, I miss a lot of post myself. After covering all my 'watched' threads I need to check for new ones. When I don't check I and often miss some good ones like this. :-)
Deb - That small tree is a Dwarf Poinciana Tree. Yellow flowers instead of the usual red ones. Supposedly the yellow flowers are a rarer variety. I bought it because I loved the leaves and the fact that it was a dwarf tree. I bought it from a nursery. It was an expensive tree for the size. (Only about 3 foot tall when I bought it.) But after I planted it in my yard, it just took off. It was root-bound in the pot. It puts out seed pods several times a year. The flowers are striking. The drawback is the thorns on the trunk and branches. And it can be killed in a hard freeze. It's apparently a tropical tree. If you want some seeds, dmail me. I think they take a couple years to really get growing from seed. But it could be a container plant. I've seen it shaped and pruned into a shrub instead of a tree. I like mine. Just don't grow one near a heavily used path. The thorns have snagged my clothes several times! lol I don't think it is a host plant of any kind. But I have seen butterflies nectaring from it. And I see butterflies sleeping in it at night a lot. The thorns are good protection from predators! Smart Butterflies!!!
Anyone interested in seeds, LMK.
Right now Becky, I don't know where I would put it, lol..Thank you for offering, you're so kind!! I was admiring your Poinciana very much, and thinking how smart the BFs are too. For choosing a thorny flower bush to sleep in. Such a deal!
Those yellow flowers are like neon lights that say "ButterflyFlytel, Free Branch & Breakfast plus state of the art Security"..
oO I have more room in my mind to dream, than room in my yard to plant all the plants I like/love...rofl!
Here's a Malachite that I found roosting - the weather was still dreary and chilly and it flew out when I trampled by but it quickly flew back to roost...hence how I noticed it and was able to photograph it. I never would have noticed it if it hadn't flown out...way too camouflaged!!!
See if ya'll can spot it in this uncropped photo.
~ Cat
Stellar shot Cat!!
Very cute incident! Like it was playing a game with you....Watch me go invisible, lol.
I have often wondered where the hummers and butterflies go at night around here. There are two large trees in our neighbor's front yard. I wonder if they go there. I don't even see any hummingbird nests. It seems like every hummer I have fed has gone different ways every time it has stopped in. Texas Puddy/Print, tlhanks for the camouflage buttefly photo.
Thanks for sharing,
Chuck
Chuck,
You'd be one of the very lucky ones if you did find a hummie nest. I've never seen one in my yard although I get lots of hummies at my feeders and plants. Several stick around even during the winter.
They like to nest way up high in the big oak trees. Even with binoculars they elude me but I do see the same birds going to what I assume are their nests in the trees. After a while I also see juvenile hummies around the yard and coming to the feeders.
~ Cat
