My first new BST

Saw this little guy when he was already 95% out. Within 10 seconds he was out and moving his wings, and a few minutes later flew up on the screen.

I tried putting 2 cats in a jug with parsley but they didn't seem to like it and were not eating. Took them back out on the porch and put them on some live parsley plants and they once again seemed happy. I tried both cuttings off my live plants and washed grocery store bought parsley, but they wouldn't eat either one. Is it normal for them to only eat from a live plant?? One of the cats was history this morning. It looks like something bit it. There were two orangeish things sticking out of it so I first thought that was normal, but it had not moved at all since this morning.

It has been a great year for butterflies being around and I guess it is time for me to get into raising them to insure there will be plenty of them around. Time to build some cages for them. One thing that has surprised me is how the Sulphurs love the Mexican Petunias. Seems like there are a couple of pairs of them working over the petunias every time I go out and look. Fast little buggers though, hard to get a picture.

Thanks to all for the great info you have posted. I'm still a complete newbie, but I'm soaking up more info every day. Ed

Hi Ed! Welcome aboard!
The horns are a defense mechanism called osmeterium. It is a foul odor to me, but it helps them a little bit in the wild. Although my Cardinals know them well, and watch for them to get rightly plumped before snatching them. Not to mention all the tiny predators we have learned on the way. Whatever got it, caused it to die with its horns out.. Glad you had a flyer tho!
Nice pic and nice going!!

Debnes


This message was edited Sep 9, 2007 7:38 PM

Great pic Ed. Those are beauties. I don't have an answer about the live plant versus the other. I was raising BST's and ran out of dill and got some from the store, washed it off really well and I am not sure they ate it or not as they passed on pretty quickly after that. Maybe I did not wash it good enough, I don't know. Just made me sick. I had three of the little babies. Next year I will plant more than one dill plant I can tell you that.

Leslie

beautiful pic

Sometimes the cats will not move for a day or so. This is usually because they are changing from one instar to the next. I try not to touch them with my hands, or the plants I am replacing at that time. It really disturbs them. You can see the skin of the previous instar here.

I noticed that yesterday, Sheila. I was beginning to worry, then went back a few hours later to find it had changed.
Just a few more days with mine -- then we'll see if it ecloses, or overwinters.
Congrats on such a beautiful BST, Ed!!

Ed, what a beauty!

The little guy engaged in "osmeterium" is gone. I don't know if it got eaten or if it just went out looking for a place to jump to the next stage. He looked OK, just was not moving around at all. His sister is still there chomping away on the parsley. I've got a dill plant right next to the parsley but none of the cats went over to the dill yet.

Thanks to all for the comments. I just wish I would have got started sooner -- like when my milkweed was loaded with monarch cats. I think I've picked up enough butterfly smarts to be able to rescue any more cats that show up. Just what I need, another "project". How did I ever find time to work??? Ed

Awe Ed!!
You're probably just getting started for the year. Florida will be drenched in Monarchs soon, so I think you're right on time. Go back and read some posts from in this forum for last year, and you will see. Expect more than that this year, we had tons of rain and lots of new butterfly farmers farther north.

:-)

Debnes - I'll be on the lookout for them. Most of my milkweed leaves have grown back already. They went from "sticks" to lots of leaves in a couple of weeks. I better get some cages ready now. Ed

You might start now rooting more MW so you have plenty. I hear you guys really get a lot of Monarchs down there.

Very nice photo.

Thanks for sharing,

Chuck

That's a beauty!