I noticed it took quite a while for this little butterfly to eclose after the chrysalis filled in, so I was worried. But it was worth it. Finally!
Texas Powdered Skipper emerged, yea!
Awesome!!! Please post a photo doc from egg to butterfly and the larval host plant photos if you can.
I've never been able to find those caterpillars although I do see butterflies on occasion.
~ Cat
Such beautiful textured pattern on his wings. I bet he just disappears when he lands on a tree trunk.
Cat, I'm afraid I can't help you on the eggs or even tiny cats. When I found these the cats were looking like this, except that they were rolled up in folded leaves, before I'd opened a nest up to see one.
This message was edited Oct 8, 2007 11:21 PM
Here's another shot of one.
Here's one later on when it looked a little different.
And then after it pupated inside the leaf nest.
The host plant they used was Velvet-Leaf Mallow, Wissadula holocericea. There's probably many mallows they use. But the folded or rolled up leaf nest is definitely something to look for.
Linda,
Thank you for the TPS cats and the larval host plant photos. I know there are TPS out at the ranch but really need to find out what plant they are using there. I don't recall seeing anything similar to that mallow...but perhaps I'm mistaken...I tend to categorize every yellow daisy like bloom as a sunflower!!!
Am going to have to drag one of the park botanists out there with me to ID plants.
Thanks again...those were great photos!!! Love that butterfly too!!!
~ Cat
Congratulations Linda, that is a beautiful butterfly.
Josephine.
Linda that is a great picture.
We do not have the Texas Powdered Skipper (Systasea pulverulenta) in BugFiles, so I have created an entry for it here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/4922/
Would you please add your image to that page,
Kennedy