Another Monarch on my Zowie Zinna
Another Monarch on my Zowie Zinna
Beautiful Betty, wow, you are really getting a bunch!
Yes I am, Are you getting butterflies in your garden right now? I was just talking to my friend about you and your heat in Texas and that it is the same in Ky. We have had over 90 degrees for the past 2 weeks and will have for the next two weeks to come and our normal for this time of year is 88 degrees. It is not only in the 90's but upper 90's. Last week we had three days at 102 and we are going to reach 100 again this week. It is not fun to garden at all.
~Happy Birthday, Betty~ : )
Here is a Gulf Frit born on your Birthday. : )
~Lucy
Thanks Lucy,
That is so incredible that a Gulf Frit was born on my birthday. I hope you name him after me--even if it is a male. I am so excited!!! Made my birthday end on a good note today for sure!!!
Betty
Actually, if you notice in the picture.....there were 2 born. I called them 'the twins', because they followed each other around and pupated side by side. And they were born within minutes of each other. The other one was on the other side of the cage, ready to go. : )
I did name them before I let them go. Betty, and Bette. : )
~Lucy
You can't get much better than that Betty...2 beauties named after you!
Thanks--- that made me LOL. What a great birthday I have had!!!!!
Here's the other one. Coludn't get them to open their wings long enough to get a picture of their orange coloring on the top. (Excuse the dirty nails, I was scratching in the dirt all day). : )
Something I noticed. I had 7 pupating. 5 were light brown, 2 were dark brown. Today when those 2 enclosed, one was from a dark and the other, light. One was bigger than the other....and coloring alittle different. (not much)
What I was wondering is, you reckon the males might have one color chrysalid, and the females the other? (don't ask me which is which...lol )
~Lucy
Great pic!
I don't know, possible I guess. The Monarchs have a different chrysalis for the gender.
Really? I didn't know that. I have one Monarch that should enclose in a couple of days. Wonder if it's a male or female? Will have to check that out.
~Lucy
I can't remember exactly but the male, I think, will have a black dot near the top of the chrysalis.
Happy Birthday (night) to you Betty.. I see you have had a wonderful day.. Lucy that is a such a clear picture of your butterfly.. and lovely fingers. I had to get up and scrub my fingernails and toenails too before I went in to substitute teach today. It seems I have more butterflies this year than I have ever had. And we are in severe drought/heat UGH!
My passion vine is crawling with cats.. sure hope the heat doesn't hurt them. I mist every day.. here is a Monarch.
Elaine
Here it is Lucy, the male will have 2 black dots:
http://www.thebutterflymarket.com/teachingwithmonarchs/How%20to%20tell%20a%20male%20Monarch%20Chrysalis.JPG
Nice Monarch photo Elaine!
fly_girl, You had me standing on my head trying to look for black dots. lol : )
I don't see any. Soooooo, I guess she's is a she. : )
Hi Elaine, nice picture. : ) There are too many stupid bugs that get my monarch babies. I rescued 3, and only have 1 that is gonna make it. The other 2 looked fat and happy, and made their chrysalid, but 2 days later they started leaking something, and fly larvas come out of them. I was disqusted.
Anyway, while I was checking for black dots, I noticed the wing colors are starting to be noticeable. Should be born Thursday. : )
~Lucy
Great picture Lucy, Keep them coming.
Thanks for the birthday greeting EFGeorgia. Great picture!!! Enjoying the comments. I am new to this forum and learing a lot!!! So exciting. I never thought I would be so interested in butterflies.
You know late this evening I went out and several of my plants were just covered with some kind of bee/fly and also those hateful yellow jackets. I think they were looking for moisture or maybe eating white flies (?)
nitey nite
Elaine
Elaine,
That was very interesting!! Now you really don't hate those yellow jackets do you? After all they are eating the white flies. Enjoy your day gardening in Ga!!!!! We finally got some rain last night and they are saying our 2 weeks of 100 degree temp. are over and the forecast for Aug 27 for Louisville will be in the 70's. Boy does that sound great !!!!!
Betty
Betty,
Welllll, if those yellow jackets are eating white flies, I say more, more, Glad you have rain. I thought we were going to get some tonight.. we did,, about 100 drops. It rained all around us, again. 70's sounds wonderful..sighhhhhh
Elaine
Well Elaine,-- Maybe you will get some rain if that hurricane hits the coast of Louisiana and maybe it will drift on up to Louisville--I am hoping. We are still 7 inches below in rainfall total for the year and Thursday night we got one fourth of an inch.
Betty,I would love some rain from that hurricane,, now I mean just rain. not any kind of wild stuff.. LOL like we had the 1st of March. And nothing like Hurricane Charley,,right Lucy. I would love some Zowie Zinnia seeds, if you have a few ... I have lots of seeds to trade.
Lucy, where did you rescue your Monarch babies from ?? What do the cats like in your yard? Do you have any of the purple passion vines? Maypops.. I was just amazed this morning to see all the critters on my vines. Even had a little frog..
Elaine
Elaine, actually my monarch cats ended up being Queens. I found them on my milkweed plants. The cats in my yard like my Christmas senna, senna alata, bronze fennel, dill, milkweed, my orange and grapefruit trees.
I have a Passiflora caerulea that I just got a couple of weeks ago. It has been giving me my Gulf Frits eggs. Plus, I have a huge Red Passiflora that they lay eggs on occasionally, but it's never eaten. Picture of it below.
And NO Hurricane.....Please.
~Lucy
Milkweed,, now I need some of that too. I remember your red passion vine.. just beautiful
Hi Lucy,
I love that tree in the background. What is the name of it?
Betty.......It's a Cabbage Palm in the neighbors yard. Florida's official state tree.
I use to keep it trimmed up and looking better. But, there is a fence behind my fence now, that I had put up to keep his (multi) dogs out of my yard, so I can't get all the way around it now. He never trims or mows anything.....one of those kinds of neighbors, you know.
~Lucy
Thanks Lucy,
I just think that tree is so beautiful and tropical looking. And I love your yellow Rudbeckia. Is that a Rudbeckia on the left--the orange colored one---that is so pretty too.
Good eye, Betty. : ) Yes, that is a Rudbeckia.
Don't ask me what it's name is tho. lol Someone told me, but I forgot.
Here is a picture of it right when I got it. It has alot of blooms on it now.
~Lucy
Hi Lucy,
It is probably Indian Summer--looks just like my Indian Summer and I just love them.
O
I remembered the Indian part. lol : ) I'll make it a name tag. Thanks, Betty. : )
You are welcome Lucy--You have a lovely garden!!! And I would like to live in Florida and be able to garden all year----Lucky you!!!!
Yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky. I don't think I could go a month without playing in the yard. I do love heading anywhere north of FL to look at everything everybody else is growing, tho. : )
There are pros and cons, no matter where you live. : )
~Lucy
Yes Lucy , That is true. But I can get pretty low in the winter, when I am trapped inside and cannot garden. I just have to look at my albums of pictures of my gardens and also catalogues and also DG to keep me busy in the winter.
Take care,
Betty