Great shots Kristi and Rod!
I can't wait to see those Sulphur cats on my Cassia...hope it's the right host....they are beautiful!
Love the Hairstreak pic, they're one of my faves.
Butterflies in My Garden Today!
Fly_girl - cassia is the right host. It attracts yellows / sulphurs all year long.
Knolan - I raised it indoors and then released it by hand. Had camera in one hand an butterfly on the other.
BTW - your hairstreak is a female - note the orange dot on the back of its head.
Rod
I see the orange dot. Thanks, Rod!
Great buttterfly. I can't say I've seen one out here in Ft. Bend. Are they common in our area?
Rod - I don't know how I missed your posts with the pictures of the cat and chrysalis. What a gorgeous caterpillar! I haven't seen any on my cassia but, it's not blooming yet either. Newly planted last April. I've seen plenty of sulphurs around, though. Those are great pictures! Keep em coming!
Wow! Nice Bling bling Rod! Those guys with Rolexes would eat their heart out!!
He's gorgeous!
What cultivar of Cassia do you have?
_________________________________
Great pics Kristi, I love the Monarch baby one!!
Happy Birthday, .....(again), LOL!
:-Deb
Thank you, Deb! Hoppping all the butterflies come to my yard today! ;>}
Did anyone lose their cassia? I think the Feb. 2007 freeze did mine in. anyone? anyone?
Kristi, sorry to hijack your thread, but this is the only pic I have, hate to start a new thread just for this. Can anybody ID?
Voss - you're not hijacking!
Yes, I lost my cassia in the freeze but I bought another one at Buchanan's. I do have seeds if you'd like some.
I'll look that up in my book. Maybe someone else will know before I can id him.
Not sure, but i think it is a Hackberry Emperor.
.....I just can't believe all these great photos.....I'm in awe....
Could be Josephine, though mine looks more orangey than the google pics and the white spots on mine are not nearly as prominent as shown on google pics.
Voss - According to my book, it does look like an Emperor (Tawny)- female.
Thank you, Thea!
thank you ladies, I uploaded the pic in the BF accordingly.
Knolan - the Gray Hairstreak is very common. The Orange-barred Giant is not supposed to be common here, but it is now well established at least at my house in the Spring Branch / Spring Shadows area.
Our cassia is a fairly tall and rangy bush. Don't know the specifics. Catbird would have to provide details, and she is out for the rest of the day. Freeze did not hurt ours.
Deb - I only wear the Rolex when no butterflies are available. :-)
How about mating Orange-barred Giants?
Rod
Happy Birthday! Knolan! Hope you enjoyed it with cake ice cream and beautiful butterflies fluttering about your gardens!
Deborah
Thank you so much, Deborah. It's been a fantastic day and just ended with a great dinner.
Great picture, Rod! You have the most interesting poses! Yes, I see the gray hairstreaks all of the time. Love 'em. Especially those cute antennae. I'm familiar with Spring Branch! I'm a Sugar Lander now (well, have been for over 27 years).
LOL Rod!
Y'all~~
My Cassias always die in winter. I've tried all sorts of tricks to insulate, but resolve to keep growing new one(s) every year. This year I have 2.... Some Sulphurs have stopped by to nectar, and some crazy large male Sulphurs fly over so fast I can't get a fix on those. I really hope to host some kind of Sulphur this year.
Voss~ Your always welcome to pop in and post any of your butterfly pics in the Daily Butterfly Thread.. We're on page 9 now. It is exactly for the purpose of not starting a new thread for every little thing, and to help ID.
Kristi~~ I am so glad you had a great birthday... Cheers!
:-Deb
Thank you, Ms. Deb!
I read, somewhere, couldn't for the life of me try to remember where, that the best thing to do is dig up your cassias before the first freeze, pot 'em up, and move them into shelter for the winter. I'm gonna try it this year and see what happens.
I'm gonna check that daily thread out! I'm not real good at paying attention to more than a few threads a day. Time to 'spread my wings', so to say. Heehee.
Beautiful pictures, everybody. : )
One of these days I'll find time to dissect my camera, and see what makes it take ugly pictures. lol
I know it can't be operator errors. ; )
~Lucy
Haha, Lucy!
Hey, I have a question. Since monarch caterpillars are striped, why do the adults come out polky dotted?
Knolan,
"I BELIEVE" the chrysalis stage gives them the hic-ups, which stirs up all the colors while they are mushy :-)
You should get the Orange-barred there, provide you have senna/cassia bushes in the neighborhood. They are primarily a Florida butterfly but do move along the coast.
Rod
Gee, I missed Podsters post bc of all the other posts, but it's nice to see ya! Lovely pic of the Female Tiger Swallowtail, dark form.
I can see the tiger stripes through the wings very well!
LOL for the explaination Rod!! Pretty good one!
:-Deb