Picture 3 of 3 ....
"... yep, much easier!"
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 16
Hello there, Betty - thank you! Those are sedum blooms - nice and cheery this time of the year. Here is a pic of a passion flower
Yeah, those RSP's prefer rotting fruit and sugar water to flower nectar. Such beautiful pics Lily!!
Cat, Those Metalmarks are real pretty! Cool to get both sides like you did! Very nice!
One of the Giant Swallowtails eclosed today, very cooperative one. It wanted to stay on Kirby's arm, lol. We offered Duranta, and Cypress Vine was chosen instead.. Just to hang anyway.
Here is the side view>
Swallowtail on Great Blue Lobelia
Skipper on Fall Clematis
Hard to tell which end is which - a Hairstreak
Ok everyone, first the bad news. My polydamas cat didn't make it. I still have another one so let's cross our fingers. He had made his sling, but yesterday I noticed he wasn't touching the limb at all - just hanging by a thread, literally. I took some pictures and now that I just looked at them on the computer, you can see where he's split in the middle, and I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I already thought something was wrong with him, when Mom decided to open the door to the bf house and look at everyone. I started yelling at her not to touch it because it shakes the cats, and sure enough, when she shut the door, the cat fell into pieces and made a huge splat on the bottom of the cage.
My zebra longwing was back on the porterweed - and then we watched it fly to the bougainvillea. Only got the one shot because a thunderstorm was fast approaching.
It's too hot to go hiking, but that didn't stop me. My stress has been building and I release stress by either hiking or gardening. The usual stand of lantana wasn't blooming much anymore, and I could see where the controlled burns had cleared out a lot of the brush. BFs I saw but didn't get pictures of include: Giant Swallowtail, Palamedes Swallowtail, and what I think was a really tattered Polydamas Swallowtail. I even jumped the fence to see if I could get closer and get some shots, but it was not butterfly cooperation day. I did see this cute skipper, and he was really yellow; most of the ones I see are orange and brown.
I saw two Buckeyes, but could only get this not so great ventral shot. Buckeyes will stop but when they decide to move, they never land anywhere close. They always seem to want to fly about 20-30 feet away, and I was not up for chasing them in this heat.
As usual, there were Zebra swallowtails flying all around, but I didn't think I would ever get shot of one. Finally, I saw one on a plant, but thought it looked weird as its wings were really far apart. I thought it must be old and tattered and missing some of its wings.
But I was wrong! It was actually two butterflies! And just to prove that Cat doesn't have the monopoly on butterfly sex...
And in case you're wondering, "Can bfs fly when they're mating?" Yes, they can - especially if you get too close to them. They remind me of lovebugs, actually. This couple flew from that plant over to some young pine trees.
I like this pic because you can really see the colors. The bfs flew over to another pine tree...but I kept following and taking pics.
Now, because I'm crazy and don't know the meaning of the word, "No", I went to insane lengths to follow these butterflies. You see, those pine trees were on the opposite side of a barbed wire fence. I had already hopped a normal chain link fence, but was I crazy enough to try to get around barbed wire? Yes. Yes I was. I got down on my belly and crawled like a caterpillar to get under it. All to bring you these great pics. Here's a pic of the fence so you can see what I had to go through. Luckily, I think some animal had dug out a little bit under the fence; or else I just managed to find a low spot in the ground. Kids - do not try this at home!
A little further into the preserve and I watched a ZST flit from pawpaw to pawpaw laying eggs. They sure don't take long - it's hard to tell if they're laying eggs or what.
I also managed to acquire some ZST eggs today. Now, let me just say that the fact I visited a (legally protected) preserve with ZST who decided to lay eggs in front of me, and the fact that I somehow acquired ZST eggs are two completely unrelated events. That being said...check out the photos! The egg on the left is definitely a ZST egg. I don't know if the egg on the right was a "dud" or what. Anyone know if ZSTs lay different color eggs? Did I happen to find a new egg next to an older egg?
Proving yet again that my yard can be just as exciting as any preserve - I saw my first Pipevine ST in the yard today! Actually, Mom was just walking in from church when she said there was "that black butterfly with the blue at the bottom" on the plumbagoes. I went outside and sure enough, there it was. This one looked a little torn up and would hardly stay still, but i did get this shot of it. I hope it finds the pipevine! I checked it but there were no eggs on it - yet! I'm glad PVST have that semi-circle of orange spots underneath; it makes them a lot easier to ID.
And finally, while I was outside I saw that the GF managed to find the passionvine despite the fact that I moved it. I don't think it layed any eggs though. My passion vine is still a little withered from being transplanted, and it made me wonder if the GF didn't somehow know that.
I am new to this ........... and I have several caterpillars on my milkweed as well .....will post so that maybe someone can identofy thjose for me as well ........
ps ....... what butterfly is this?
Welcome, welcome! That's a Gulf Fritillary - one of my favorites!
Melanie
here is a pic of the cats ......... are these monarch cats and butterfly??
another pic.................
thanks,
james taylor
Hi James! Nice to have you in here!
The one is like Mellie said, Gulf Fritillary, and the cats in your 2 pics are Monarchs. Awesome pics! Love your name! JT's music has always been close to my heart! :-D... I know all the words, lol! (Psst, if it IS you, I promise to treat you like everyone else, honest!)haha! My brother and sister-in-law live in Marble Falls.. It is so pretty there!
Please make yourself at home, brother!
Lovely pics Jmorth! The Clematis is gorgeous! Your ears must have been burning, I was showing off your wonderful HBM pics to folks in this thread.:-). Thanks for chimin' in! Your pics are always a welcome feature with me,;-s
Sowwy bout the PdST Mellie. My last PVST did the same thing, pretty much.:- The ZSTs are a vision...(a tad bit blurry), but a vision of color!
Tiger ST was visiting the zinnias for over an hour today. There's all sorts of bflies out there today! She finally slowed down enough to get a still..
Giant Swallowtail found the zinnias..
Giant Swallowtail found a friend to tumble with>
New Cloudless Sulphur today> Just hung on the Candletree bloom, no interest in going anywhere just yet. As we know, once the wings get moving they don't stop much after that.
:-d
thanks for the welcome deb ....... yeah marble falls is beautiful .......it is my hometown .... and i am not THE james t , although several of my friends call me sweetbaby !!!
about the cats in my garden........will they live out there and turn into Monarch butterflies?
how does this usually happen are their signs to watch for etc .......... this is all brand new to me.......... also there are at least 5 of those cats like that in my garden......
Oh, Cat, I wouldn't know for sure between those two metalmarks. With the metalmark cats I had in the spring, I decided on Rawson's eventually because the cats were on Eupatorium havanense foliage and the cats didn't look much like the pic in the book of Rounded Metalmark, the other species that uses that kind of plant. They were pale greenish-white cottony little things.
Speaking of unidentified cats, I found these on my Velvetleaf Mallow. Anybody think they could possibly be skipper cats? I was sort of thinking of maybeTexas Powdered Skipper (they use mallows), but the only photo I can find is in my cat book and it's a little different looking. Anyway, it's probably about time that there was cats on those plants. Mine have so much foliage and I could only see it being used as nectar plant before
Oh, and I forgot to say that the leaf it was hidden in was folded up to make a nest.
This message was edited Sep 2, 2007 3:40 PM
Mark - Congrats on the interview and magazine spread! I have my fingers crossed that they publish it online so that we can ALL see the article and especially the photos!!! You are getting some press now, so I would imagine that you will start getting more visitors to your gardens! :-) How exciting to have your gardens and plants spotlighted in a major magazine!!! Whoo Hoo!
WOW! Some great captures in photos posted here!
Welcome to the forum - James! Nice GF and Monarch cats! :-)
Mellie - My goodness! you are getting a LOT of great butterflies! Where is Lutz? I'm on the east coast teetering in zone 10. Not a hardly a butterfly in sight here. :-( LOL about you climbing under the fence! I'd probably have done the same! Way to go on all the great photos! :-) If your PdST fell down from the cage that easily, then I suspect something was wrong with it to begin with. Usually when they are healthy, their chrysalis is attached to whatever pretty securely. I've had some fall off their pupating spots and later realized they were sick to begin with when they finally eclosed. I figured it was a cat virus of some kind.
Jack - Love this photo: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3928704
What kind of clematis is that in this photo with the skipper?
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=3928711
I received a couple of small Sweet Autumn Clematis starter plants and they are doing well. Still too young for blooms yet, which is why I am wondering what cultivar yours are. THANKS again for the lovely Clematis plants, Roxanne!!!! :-)
Felicia - Is that butterfly drinking from a hummingbird feeder?????? That's pretty cool to see one using a feeder! Rarely see that!
Deb - Love the photos of the GST on the Cypress vine. I need to re-grow some more. A rodent chew the stalks on my vines and killed it. :-(
Linda - Love the cool photo of the Texas Powdered Skipper cat on your rose mallow! Cute little fella! :-)
Becky, it is so great to see you here again!! I've truly missed you.
Yeah, the RSP was really drinking from the hummer feeder. It was the funniest thing. :) So, I just had to snap snots of that!! Been very active on this forum, hasn't it? Very nice, hum?
Becky, Lutz is a suburb of Tampa. It's on the north side. I used to live in Tampa proper but we moved when the neighborhood got bad. We needed a larger house anyway. I figured something was wrong with my cat; but I did give Mom a good lecture about not touching things.
Linda, that cat looks real familiar. I think someone has posted one like that before, so let's wait patiently until they read this thread and enlighten us. From my books, I'd say it is some kind of skipper.
Melanie
beckygardener,
the skipper is on some artemesia, my mistake...I've clematis behind it but it's not fully clothed in blooms yet.
J
G whiz J, lol! I thought that looked a lot like artemesia, no wonder. I have that. My sweet autumn didn't ever come out of dormancy last year:-
James you can take them into a small cage and watch the whole thing. At this point it wont be long. When they get aout 2" long they spin some silk and hang in a "J" from their tail end. Eventually a thick green liquid will start to envelope them and swallow them up, leaving their skin in a clump at the top. this clump will usually fall off, but sometimes just sticks there. It can be pulled off easily after the chrysalis has dried well, (about a day or 2.
Here are some quick and easy containers I use to raise many of the cats I get. You might have everything there without going to the store.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/747907/
Deb
Yes Linda I would have to agree with your thoughts on the powdered skipper cat. It has all the characteristics of a skipper, and the plant is a good teller! What a cool looking cat!
Becky! I will save you some seeds from the Cypress vine, :-) I have it growing up a tree, hummers like to go up through the branches sipping from the flowers.
Deb - Save the seeds for the November ROUND ROBIN trade. I think I still have plenty of Cypress Vine seeds left over. Thank you so much for the thoughtful and kind offer. I have Cardinal Climber growing right now and it is growing among my Moon Vines and everything is putting out blooms finally. Looks great!
I'll say Becky! Looks fabulous! I love the fingerlings on the leaves. I'll save some Cypress, will have plenty:-s
I'll probably be throwing in some Cardinal Climber seeds in the trade along with some other MG seeds. :-) MGs are my newest passion! LOL! Like I have time for anything else. But I needed something to pass the time in the garden since I have had so few butterflies this summer and now into Fall. :-)
I think that's just weird you not having so many butterflies this summer... Guess they are saving your yard, (best for last).. I know you have been prepared enough!
It's just so strange... The Lord knows you were called away on a couple matters, and it was good that you could devote so much time to Kailey and Luke without having to tend to hundreds of butteflies you would have been trying to raise on top of all that. All that time and vigil counted so very much!
Look out fall and winter! Your turn for this year is coming girl!