I found 5 on these wispy, practically leafless plants...and 2 more cats nearby on grass blades. Now, I know the VFs use flax. And to have flax with enough foliage for them, I bought 3 nice Blue Flax plants this spring. And yet, they apparently preferred these. I've never seen them use the Rock Flax before. Then again, the plants only become visible to me when the flowers are blooming. Believe me, the plants on my property are even sparser than the ones in this link.
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/lin/linum_rupestre.htm
VF Cats on Rock Flax
Wow! Those are plants don't look like they'd support VF cats! Reminds me of the native green violets they use out here. Am wondering if there is some native flax growing at the ranch...has to be...because for all the VFs I see there isn't enough green violet to go around.
Why can't they eat mequite or ebony or something that grows in abundance!!
~ Cat
Well, they do sometimes use Passiflora incarnata (Maypop). In some areas, it really does grow in abundance. My Maypop were doing fine, but the GFs are having a big population explosion recently on them and they're trying to strip them. I've found 2 VFs on the Maypop this year. I just released one of those butterflies today. But I was shocked that they would use those wispy flax plants. I guess when a cat finishes off one plant, it has to go try to find another one. Go figure!