Pluto Sphinx on the wing again

Was outside earlier this evening watering some hanging baskets along my front walkway and this bugger flew out from the tangle of passion flower vines that have worked their way to the hanging baskets. Also had about a dozen sulphurs fly out as well as one Dusky-blue Groundstreak. It was only about a week ago that I had my first Two-Barred Flasher fly out from the same tangle of vines. Seems the butterflies like roosting amongst all those leaves and shrubbery!!!

Plutos use firebush as a larval host and there is plenty around my front yard. I have about a 25-30 foot long hedge of it on each side of my driveway!!! Will have to make time to see if I can find any eggs or caterpillars. Way too many firebushes to look through but I will try.

~ Cat

Here's the Xylophanes Pluto sphinx moth.

...and the Dusky-blue Groundstreak. This bugger must've gotted stunned by the spray of water. It landed on a nearby leaf and I was able to get it to crawl onto my hand for a up close and personal photo :o)

~ Cat

I love that Pluto, but have never seen them on my firebush, maybe they aren't around this area, I'll have to check.

Cute little Dusky-blue too!

Nice shots, Cat! I too have smaller butterflies/moths fly out from my Maypop vines in the evenings when I am watering everything. I think I need to step it up with the hiding places in my yard. It is still pretty sparse except around the fence areas. I am not quite sure how I am going to add more plants without shading other plants. The sun comes up in the east and sets in the west. My house faces south with the backyard facing north. Any suggestions?

oh what a beautiful Sphinx Cat

Becky,

I have two mature oaks in my front yard and well, those firebush hedges along the driveway provide lots of hidey holes. Of course, having passion flower vines lining the front walkway as well as the east side of the house and a couple of overgrown mexican flame vines and numerous other flowerbed that are overgrown :o) yah...one of these days I'll clean them up...NOT!!! Anyway, my jungle yard provides plenty of areas to roost. No doubt to the bane of my neighbors who have bland landscaping!

Did I forget to mention the backyard east fence is also covered by a tangle of ipomoea ochracea (yellow morning glory). I really should cut that back because it crawls along the fence into other areas as well as stretch across the yard. I always end up mowing over stray tendrils :o) The guava skippers like to roost in that...perhaps because it's close to the guava tree and their favorite nectar source...duranta.

I used to think about making butterfly houses but heck...they will never use them and the native vines are a more natural habitat for them.
~ Cat