I'm not really into butterflies (yet) but this guy showed up today for a feast. Who is she/he? Probably very common - sure liked my coneflower.
xxxx, Carrie
Help - we have a butterfly! What to do?
Carrie, I think that beauty is an American Painted Lady, Vanessa virginiensis....the 2 large eyespots differentiate it from the Painted Lady. I don't think they are that common...at least not here, but I wish they were :)
Again, someone not even trying to get these BF's and getting beautiful specimens. I think they just don't like me. Congrats to you Carrie. Beautiful butterfly. I bet you have a great garden.
Leslie
Apparently they're not unusual around here. The picture I owe to my 16 - year - old daughter, who was dainty and quiet enough to get right in the middle of the coneflowers.
xxx, Carrie
Good for you Carrie and your children. I think maybe we all have experienced such things as children and want to pass them on to our children. I actually do not have any children so I just want to pass them on to me I guess. Another example would be lightning bugs (as we called them). We used to have them thick as thieves at my grandma's house every night. Then I had not seen any in probably 15 years. Just this summer I was lucky enough to see two flitting around the neighborhood. I saw them two separte nights. Sad that it was only two but it was still a thrill for me anyway and sure took me back in time.
Leslie
Yes Carrie, You are absolutly right! Tell daughter "nice shot!". According to the map here http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/map?dc=5266&_dcc=1&si=22 , for Norfolk County,
American Lady is not common to your area. I have found the maps to be off sometimes.
That Echinacea is a great draw for sooo many species of butterflies.
:-Deb
Deb,
Great link! Doesn't it just say that she (or he) doesn't overwinter up here?
I wish the hummer would come back....
xxx, Carrie
Hi Carrie!
I will say that all of the Vanessa butterflies are migratory. Much like Monarchs, they fly south for the winter, and north for the summer. The main ones you will see in this family are Red Admirals, Virginia Lady (aka American Lady), and Painted Lady.
There are much more that overwinter up there in their chrysalids, particularly all the Swallowtails. Butterflies which overwinter as a chrysalis will usually do so in fall, wherever they are at the time. They emerge (eclose) in spring... Here in North Texas they hibernate for about 5 months.
The migrators head down to Florida, South Texas , and other parts in the south for the winter.
:-D
Well I guess she won't be around forever, then. It's funny, you think of them like a bug, squish. But thinking of it as more like a bird, returning every summer? How long do they live? Or do they turn into butterflies and just know to fly North?
xx, C
Yep, They just know.. and they rarely ever live more than one winter. Some actually live 8-9 months. Someone had a chart on lifespans of butterflies a while back.. I wonder if it's on the sticky thread???
We can check there first, and if it isn't we will look it up.
:-Deb
I'd like to see the chart on lifespans, also. My DH was asking me how long they live.
~Lucy