Good news about the Sulphur Cats .....

I went snooping around the bush bed and looking really closely at the Cassia bushes out there. Well ..... much to my delight I found 3 Sulphur cats that look to be pretty healthy. So in they came to be raised in a cage. Yay!

And I found about a dozen or more eggs (new ones since yesterday) that are on the tips of many leaves. It's kind of neat, but the butterfly lays each egg on a different branch. I guess so there is no crowding.

From past experience, they aren't quite the piggies that the Black Swallowtail and Monarch cats are. :-)

And notice ..... these are green (because they are eating the leaves) instead of yellow.

Fun, fun!

My camera doesn't quite get the close-up photos that others here on this forum do, but here is a close-up of one of those cats.

I got lucky and caught the mother butterfly of these babies and she was laying eggs all over my two cassia bushes! Whoo Hoo! I guess some of the butterflies are finally returning or finding my yard. I was wondering when I'd start seeing more! Yipee! (Can ya tell I was feeling deprived here? lol)

She looks like an Orange-barred Sulphur, but I couldn't be sure. I must have taken 12 shots and only got this one that was any good. (sheesh!)

Here's the top wings. She wouldn't stop long enough for me to get a clearer photo. :-/

One more closer shot of her laying those eggs everywhere! Lots and lots of babies unless something gets them. I can't save them all. Not enough space in my cages. :-(

Possibly a Cloudless Sulphur? I can't be sure which. It was a large butterfly.

This message was edited Jun 17, 2007 11:07 AM

Yay Becky, she's a beaut! I can't wait until I see action on my Cassia!
I found 3 Monarch cats today....I haven't seen any cats lately, but lots of assassin bugs! They are quick too, because I go out several times a day looking for cats.

Thanks, Rox! I have to agree with you ..... quite a beauty!!

Rox or someone ..... could ya take a photo of an assassin bug. I want to see if I have some of those in my garden, too. I am seeing something different than just my annoying Milkweed bugs.

They are hard to get a pic of because they dart under the leaf when they see you. Mostly, I have a lot of nymphs, they don't have wings yet and can't get away as easily.


http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://twistyfaster.com/images/critters/assassin_prey.jpg&imgrefurl=http://twistyfaster.com/pages/fotomat/fauna/assassinbug.htm&h=268&w=401&sz=16&hl=en&start=16&tbnid=MOoSthczdRRDeM:&tbnh=83&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dassassin%2Bbug%2Bnymphs%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DDNUS,DNUS:2006-36,DNUS:en

Oh Becky Congrats!! I am so happy for ya! Glad you linked over here bc I have a busy day and have to get off and leave a few unanswered for now. Great news on Sulphurs!!!

I want to find a Cassia Alata, and hopefully Suttons has them in by now. I also want to drag DH out to look at deck furniture... :-) mwhahaha!

:-Deb

Great going!!! Those cats and eggs will surely keep you busy!!! Amazing that you were able to get a photo of her laying eggs...I've watched them and they truly don't stay put for very long.

~ Cat

Thanks for the bug link, Rox! Unfortunately, the bug I am seeing isn't the assassin bug. Maybe it IS a mw beetle. Hmmmm .... not sure what it is.

Deb - I hope you are able to find the "perfect" deck furniture for your new gazebo! So show us some photos when it's all set-up! :-)

Cat - Honestly ..... I was trying my hardest to get a photo and zoom in at that same time. She was all over the place and didn't seem to stop but for a few seconds. I am as surprised as you that I actually got a decent photo or two. Thanks!

Well, Becky...when I think of how hard it is for us to get photos of a female laying eggs I think back to the time I was out in the field and watched a poor ragged female trying to lay eggs all the while being hounded by a horndog male!

So just when we think we have it bad...some poor butterfly has it worse!

~ Cat

This is the tattered female on her egg laying mission. Sorry the photo is so bad...it was taken back in 2005 with my old mavica.


This message was edited Jun 17, 2007 8:56 PM

...and here she is being dogged by a horndog male!!! My word...just look at her wings...and the fool is still wanting some!!!

~ Cat

Cat - My goodness, that male was persistent! Maybe she was the only female around for miles. LOL!

Hey!!! I think the weathered look makes a girl look like she's been around the block a few times, maturity can be very attractive, LOL

Great shot Cat!

Here's a what the Sulphur cats look like now. I will say one thing about them .... when they hold onto your finger, they don't want to let go! They have a tight grip! lol I really like the color and the pattern on them. I liked their yellow color too when they eat only the flowers. The more I raise them, the more I really like this particular cat and butterfly. Cute! Or should I say ...... Handsome! :-D

The little one died. I am sure it was a virus or parasite. It was really thrashing back and forth in what appeared to be pain. I hate when that happens. I took it out of the cage so it wouldn't infect the other 3 bigger cats. The Sulphurs seem to get along together. They share and tolerate each other nicely regardless of size or age. (Unlike the GST cats who are threat to each other.)

I thought this was a sulphur cat...but just can't remember. It's an old photo I had as unlabled. Perhaps it's a Giant White or something. Oh well, I thought it as a nice photo.

~ Cat

Cat - I think yours is the Cloudless Sulphur cat. Mine is the Orange-Barred Sulphur cat. They are cousins, but a different species.

Becky,
I've got 2 of those babies myself right now! I'm having a really bad time with the Predators, though! They're taking everything!

Adrienne

I hear ya, Adrienne. I think that is why I don't have many butterflies in my yard. They probably know the wasps are here in large numbers and aren't laying any eggs on any of my plants. The few butterflies I have seen are just nectaring in my garden not laying any eggs. I know it's the wasps because I see them everywhere in my yard. (If only they would eat MW beetles and other harmful bugs!) I need to do a search and destroy for wasps nests again and put them outta business. I also saw my Cardinals (birds) over in my herb garden yesterday. I know they were looking for some BST cats on the dill. (Luckily, I have no cats at this time.)

This message was edited Jun 25, 2007 1:13 AM

Thanks Becky!!! That explains the size and different markings :o)
One of these days I'll sit down with identification books in hand and go through all my unlabeled photos. Yeah right...anyone wanna buy a bridge? :o)

~ Cat

Hee,hee Cat!

Becky,
I had some HUGE Sulphers in the yard today! Absolutely massive! I luckily watched her lay eggs and got to em fast....but those wasps were there! Already looking...going leaf to leaf. Argh! I'm going to have to get that electric bug swatter from Amazon!

Adrienne

Cat!
I have been hoping to attract that one in your 'old' pic... It's a Southern Dogface cat. The 2 larval host plants I have are Amorpha fruiticosa.. aka False Indigo.

http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?guide=Caterpillars


:-Deb

edited to add> They share the same above mentioned larval host with Silver-spotted Skipper

This message was edited Jun 30, 2007 3:32 PM