DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 36

Great pics everyone. Cat..Guess that moth will not be in an inside cage! More like the potting shed with that smell.
Linda, that really looks very weird on the outside like that. I wonder if it is a parasite's larva of some sort? I would sure keep him contained and find out. Nice clear photo for documentation.

Am still waiting for Zebra STs and RSPs to make it this far south. Guess I'll be wating a long time :o) Glad ya'll are sharing photos!!!

Was outside this morning moving potted plants to the shaded area under my citrus trees yet still keep them in the path of the sprinkler system. Our temperatures are hitting 100's most days now and since I'll be gone for a while I don't want any plants to get scorched and die. Gave my buddy a list of honey do's for my yard and house :o)

Anyway, found six Guava Skipper eggs on my Guava Tree. Am assuming they were laid yesterday since they are maroon in color and not the pale green color associated with freshly laid eggs. I just hate it when I don't get to see butterflies sneaking into my yard to lay eggs!!! The BSTs did it last month too. I won't complain too much...at least they are making use of the larval host plants :o)

Here's an egg photo of what will be one of this year's first Guava Skipper brood. When ya'll talk about not seeing as many butterflies I must say the Guava Skipper is two months behind last year's first brood. I had eggs laid back in March 2007. Guess the heat and lack of rain or is it global warming that is having an effect?

~ Cat

Well...I'd be glad to have a Guava Skipper, too! But I'd probably be waiting too long for that! Guess what? Speaking of showing up on time....I've got a couple of baby cats that managed to sneak up without me even spotting eggs! See below....time for me to celebrate Spicebush Swallowtail season!
Oh, and that's the normal RSP chrysallis! They just have that weird knobby thing...I've seen that before.

Well, since we're all sharing our baby pictures... Today I went looking for Zebra STs. They must be at the beginning of the next generation because I found four caterpillars in either 1st or 2nd instar, and three eggs. After my nap this afternoon I woke up and found I had five caterpillars so that was cool. There weren't too many adults flying around, but I saw a few.

To those who want pawpaw seeds...I got some fruit today. Let me get the seeds out and I'll start contacting everyone to see if I need to get some more.

And my Polydamas cats have started hatching. I still have gobs of eggs, and pipevine on order. I'm also going to stop by my fave nursery where I know she raises lots of Polydamas. She sells two kinds of pipevine, but I think the one they seem to be preferring was a. trilobata.

Melanie

Mellie...keep me in mind for those paw paw seeds. I'm be gone for five weeks but hopefully you'll be able to save some for me and I'll contact you when I get back.

Now that I see those Poly cats am also still waiting for those to show up too. I saw one lone butterfly in my yard a couple of years ago and planted various pipevines in the hope of attracting another but no takers yet.

The only baby pictures I have at this time are the BSTs that were laid last month. Have them on the front porch ready to hand them over (while they are still on the rue plant) to my neighbor's kid to raise while I'm gone.

~ Cat

BSTs....kind of unusual, but I haven't seen a single cat or egg of those! BTW, Cat has the best Rue I've ever seen! Unlike the Rue I used to get from nurseries, the ones I got from her are thriving! They're large and making seed right now.

I was just chasing more Monarch cats off the cheesecloth and showing them to Mom. I was pointing out a couple of the bigger ones when I noticed the one I had picked up looked a little different. And that's because it's a Queen! Two of my cats were on the plant when I bought it but they were so small I assumed they were Monarchs. Now I know at least one is a Queen. I took a picture so you can see the extra pair of appendages in the middle. By the way, Dad really gets a kick of how the front tentacles on the Monarch cats wiggle when they eat.

Linda,

I forgot I'd sent you some rue. Glad to hear it is thriving. I've not tried to start it from seed although my have put out seeds. Am assuming they fell off the plant but I haven't noticed any new sprouts in the garden. The folks I buy the rue plants from say they start them from cuttings. I just find it easier to buy small pots of it already rooted :o)

Hopefully the BSTs will make use of your rue soon enough. If they're like the BSTs here they'll come leave little presents when you least expect it :o)

Since I'll be gone for a while the neighbor and his sons came by a couple of hours ago to pick up the tub of rue with BST cats on it. Also gave them that Wilson's Wood-nymph Moth caterpillar to raise.

I decided to leave the Guava Skipper eggs up to Mother Nature. The caterpillars are slow growing and the leaves don't do well as cuttings. Hopefully I'll have some chrysalids hiding in rolled up leaves when I get back.

~ Cat

Well folks, I went to MOSI today to interview to become a volunteer butterfly assistant. I still have to talk to the lady in charge of the butterfly exhibit before anything is final. I would be rearing butterflies for their enclosed garden and answering questions from visitors - basically the stuff I do anyhow! While I was there I walked through the outside butterfly garden. This Gulf Frit was enjoying the lantana.

This Giant ST kept flying away from me.

I also saw a Monarch but it wouldn't land. Speaking of Monarchs, my first caterpillar has just made his J position! The pic is a little blurry because I took it through the plastic. I didn't want to open the lid and disturb him. As you can see, I put cheesecloth between the lid and the cage. It keeps the little ones from escaping (usually) and the bigger cats seem to like that they can easily fit their feet into the spaces. Also, it gives them a really good surface to hook into to secure their chrysalis.

Melanie

Nice pics Mellie! And good luck on the Volunteer position at MOSI!

Cat~ Alright on the YMG, so they won't freeze and die? Wow on the Nymph... and wagging the odius vine home with you, ROFL! Doesn't look like it will be long before that one pupates. Keep us posted!!

Ah...am now settled in my dorm room in Georgia. I guess you could say I got lucky or maybe not. Lucky in that the dorm I'm in is in a far corner of the compound and surrounded by an immense wooded area which hopefully means I'll be able to see butterflies and other wildlife. Good walking trails and paved roads to get to the chow hall and class rooms etc.

Bad thing is it is about 1.5 miles from the chow hall and class room I'll be attending and 2 miles from the firearms building. At least there's a shuttle bus that comes by to pick us up!!! I really need to start walking more...will see how it goes the first day and will try to do my body good by walking...uhmmm yeah...let's see if I don't get distracted by butterflies and run late for class!!! LOL!!!

Yeah Sheila...an outside cage indeed! UGH! I get nauseated just remembering the odor of that vine! An odd thought...if the vine smells extremely bad can you imagine the cat poo?! ROLF!!!

Deb....does it freeze in Ft Worth? I've only had one year where it froze for a few hours and that did the mass of tendrils and leaves in - I'd covered the bottom of the stems with mulch so they froze to about 8" from the ground -- but they did come back after that :o) You'd have to protect them as best you can - or at least the roots and lower part of the stems if ya'll get a freeze.

~ Cat
ps...didn't see any butterflies around the dorm building when I got in around 5pm. Guess it was a tad late for butterflies and somewhat shady and cooling off. Lots of huge magnolias, pine trees and sweet gum trees though!!!

ETS (?) on Paper Butterfly Daylily picture,,, to follow
Elaine

This message was edited May 27, 2008 9:08 PM

ETS I think

I love Georgia, my DH is from there and we have visited a few times. The temps there are about the same as FW but more humid and more rain so the plants bloom longer. We have been having a taste of our hot sunny temps lately but yesterday was a cloudy day and this morning is soooo nice and cool. But it will be about 89 today later. In answer to your question about if it freezes here, it is a yes. It gets to the upper teens sometimes. Usually we only have a few days and it is back to around 35. It snows briefly too, but usually melts the next day. I love it here even with all the varied weather. As they say, "if you don't like the weather in TX wait an hour and it will change".

Giant Swallowtail on red pentas

another view of the same Giant Swallowtail

Love that Giant ST! Red pentas are definitely a magnet for butterflies. The Gulf Frits here tend to prefer them. Although lately, everything seems to be drawn to my purple porterweed.

Mom reports a Zebra LW, Gulf Frit, Monarch, and this spring's first sighting (in my yard) of a White Peacock today! I'll have to check the host plants around here and see if I can find where they're coming from. Last fall I had them pretty regular in the backyard.

Melanie

Does anyone here know what cat this is?

Here is a better picture of the caterpillar on weed. they demolished it. (Cat, I will see if I can find some like it). And were gone when I checked today. Either looking for more of the same or something else. I offered them some parsley plant, but they didn't like it. I did some searching and since I have seen Red Admiral Butterflies and also American Lady, I think it might be one of those. ???

TexasPuddyPrint, you're not too far from the Okefenokee Swamp. Would be a wonderful weekend outing for you to explore.
http://www.okeswamp.com/

Oh, that picture of the Giant Swallowtail is so pretty. I look for them everyday since I've planted hosts for them. No luck so far.

Blue_eyes, what is the name of the plant that cat's eating?

Waving to everybody! (((
Not much going on around my house. I do have a cage full of BST chrystalis. Saw a Monarch laying eggs, then when I checked back a few days, for the life of me I can't find them.

EFG - looks like an American Lady caterpillar to me :o)

Cordele - thanks for that link - a co-worker told me about the Okefenokee too so I will research that.

Seeing bsharf's BST reminded me that I saw a Giant Swallowtail (and I mean it was huge - bigger than those we get in Texas!!! - and I believe it was a GST or similar species - and not a tiger) fly overhead while a group of us were walking to class after lunch :o)

~ Cat

The cat posted by EFGeorgia1 looks like an American Lady cat. Cool!
Unfortunately neither of the two Spicebush ST cats I found made it. I had brought them in and gave them fresh Spicebush leaves, but I found both of them dead on a paper towel at the bottom of the container at different times, one last night and one today.
At least the RSP cats are doing well. 3 finished pupating so far and one more is hanging now.

Waving back to you Debra.. My milkweed is taking off. You would think the AL would like it instead of this weed. Must have some toxins in it.. That is a beeutiful GS. I want one toooo.
I think you're right Cat, American Lady. So I will have lots more... :) I have lots of weeds... LOL
Elaine

Elaine, (waving to you, girl!) I must have missed somethingtho.. What's the name of the weeds the AL host on at your house? Are you saying the American Lady would like to nectar on the milkweed; cause it's not their host plant too right???????

ah,, right Debra.. I guess I had a brain f reeze. LOL.. How you doin? I will be going by your house Fri. going down to the beach to do some fishing.
Elaine

Cordeledawg....the cat is on pink turk's cap. They are devouring it.

Oh,, my Turk's Cap better grow faster.
Elaine

Well, blue_eyes, I'm at a loss to the name of your cat. Your Turk's cap narrows down the possiblilties for American Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, or Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak. But that picture doesn't look like any one of these to me. Wonder if it's a moth?

Elaine, I'm guessing yours is an American Painted Lady.

One of the RSP decided to eclose this morning! I took the container outside and here it is clinging to the side of the container in the morning sun.

My little RSP butterfly lingered on my hand after I got it out. Then it flew around and a little later perched on the window screen so my DH could get a good look before it flew again.

I was looking online and there is a Turk's cap skipper...could it be that?

Nice RSP!

Skippers host on many plants, Very well could be especially with a name to match!

Yes that is a nice RSP. I'm 'bout ready to try my hand at raising a new species of butterfly.

I guess I'll just have to raise some up and see what they turn into! Thanks!

:) Kim

How beautiful Linda!! Great pics!!

Lisa

OH WOW.

DH came home and discovered this on the garage door. Do you think He really came out of that hold in the wood?

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?

I let him crawl on a clean foam brush so I could move him to this plant with tall grass and dry out.

One of his outer wings.