Could be numerous reasons. I lost a few at the beginning of the season too. I was wondering if my neighbor had sprayed for web worms, etc. I had seen some of them myself around the same time. My large group of parsley is in the front at the side bed...too close to his property. I know he does spray. :-( I am planting more in the back and going to do away with that death trap.
Better luck with the next group Kim.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 37
EFG - those are mating White-Tipped Black Moths :o)
They always make me take a second look because for a brief moment I think they are some unusual butterfly species :o)
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/wtblack.html
~ Cat
Cat, have you noticed those two moths? Their antenae made me think they're both males.
Thanks Cat. They were beautiful.
Blue eyes sorry about your caterpillar.
Elaine
The Dianthus just started blooming and I had some Tiger Swallowtails on it. This morning I had what I think was a Canadian TST. I think it was one because it seemed smaller than a regular Eastern TST.
In my yard, it seems the TST's like red flowers. I had other colored flowers right near these and they didn't get an attention. I also noticed the more maroon red dianthus wasn't to the TST's liking. Last year I saw them on my red monarda while all the other butterflies were sticking to the pinks and purples.
Nice capture of the TST there Meredith.
Thanks, I had a hard time picking which pictures to post because I took so many. I learned the only way I get a good picture or two is if I snap as many pictures as possible. Usually a few turn out good depending on how long the BF stands getting their picture taken. This guy was not photo shy ; )
Don't these guys make you think of Alice in Wonderland? All eight still alive and well!
I brought one in, the puniest one. Since it's my first attempt, I figured if I accidentally killed the runt, it wouldn't be so bad and if I kept it safe that would be great. So far, so good.
I'd love to see some of those on my fennels! They're so cute!
They look great! These have been doing the best for me....and every day I seem to have more so I'm feeling a little overrun! Lol...
I have some good news....I had another set of pipevine swallowtail cats hatch out and I provided them the A. triloba immediately even thought they hatched on the A. elegans. And they started eating the triloba! I am so excited and happy that these ones will have a chance.
I'm heading up to visit the family this weekend...and my mom thinks it is funny that I will be coming with all four containers of cats, one with two chrysalids in it, and food for everyone. Gotta bring the whole family!
:) Kim
I have been thinking about that too Kim. DH and I plan on taking short trips when we are able. I know that my "duties" may be a problem. However, except for the fresh food, it is a easy pack-up and go. I have a large pot of dill and fennel and several parsley too though, and I guess I would just need to throw those in so I can fresh cut it. We would need to have a hotel room though, couldn't leave them in the car. If we were to take a long trip (planning ahead) I would just have to stop two weeks ahead, and let nature take it's course and see what I had when I returned. Another option.... I could see about taking them to Debnes or Paige to raise! LOL! What's a few more?
I can't wait until the BST eggs I found hatch. I can't hand raise them, but I got a couple sleeves that can be slipped over the plant to help protect them. Last year it seemed like all the bst cats disappeared overnight, so I think they were eaten by birds : (
I just had a female TST on those same Dianthus and it looked like the larger Eastern type.
Kim, I'm so happy to hear about your Pipevine ST cats! My boss at MOSI likes those the best and she really babies them. One of the other volunteers saw one that wasn't going to make it and was like, "Uh oh, don't tell Kristen!" I hear we have Great Southern White cats and White Peacock cats that were added this week so I'll get to see them for the first time.
We had our very own Pipevine ST butterfly sighting the other day. Mom did a horrible job describing it, but luckily Dad saw it the next day, made her confirm that was the same butterfly, and then looked through my book until he found it. Dad's a duck hunter so he's used to identifying things flying through the air.
This weekend is the USF butterfly and herb fest featuring free-flying bfs in the butterfly house, a caterpillar petting zoo (awww...how cute!) and lots of plants for sale! I plan to be broke by the end of tomorrow! Of course, I'll take tons of pictures. On Sunday, I volunteer by myself for the first time at the MOSI bf garden. I'll take pictures of that to share, too.
Other than that, Mom released another (boy) Monarch today. She named this one Chuckie. We also have Danielle, Elvis, and Fred still in the critter keeper. She's naming them in alpha order like they're hurricanes. I'm not sure how she determines whether to give them girl or boy names. I still have 30 Polydamas cats - 25 small and 5 huge. One seems to be in the wandering phase so maybe I'll get a chrysalis soon. I've been taking them to work and one of my employees really wants to see them after they change into the chrysalis. Also, the co-worker who asked me to do "Bring Your Child to Work Day" wants me to do a presentation at her church's vacation bible school. She's even scheduling it around my vacation in July!
Glad to see that butterfly season is in full swing for everyone!
Melanie
Anybody know what kind of caterpillar this is? I found him/her in a ruellia I was just planting, but the little cutie is munching on a weed in the pot, not on the ruellia. My very cursory search has revealed nothing, and I admit my knowledge of butterflies/caterpillars only covers a few.
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Jenny
O.k., I think I answered my own question, I started dragging out books and I thought, "Looks like a woolly bear to me, but I've only seen brown ones." Hmmm, looks like they come in yellow, too. Looks like they'll eat just about anything. Good thing I don't have anything I care too much about.
I used to love these caterpillars as I child; I would carry them every where and use them as pets for my Barbie dolls.
Have a good weekend!
Jenny
LOL! Pets for Barbie Dolls...that is something I never thought of.
Well, my cats had eaten the foliage off all my pipevine plants. So I made the trip to get more plants. The nursery had a sale going on, so the A. fimbriata plants were really cheap. While I was there, I saw these two cats. You know what I wonder about? There are reddish PVST cats (more commonly in the western half of the U.S.) and there's reddish Polydamas cats. I'm sure there's a good way to tell the difference, but too often I'm not sure.
Pets for Barbie dolls? Now that's an interesting image! I can visualize a furry head sticking out of Barbie's purse ala "Pretty in Pink" - or perhaps a furry caterpillar stole around Barbie's neck ? :o)
Love that TST photo! I spent three hours walking around the woods on base this morning. Saw plenty of Palamedes and a couple of Spicebush STs but nary a Tiger. They continue to elude me. I was amused at first as the TST is Georgia's State Butterfly...but the days are dwindling down for me and I've yet to get a photo of one!!! GRRRRR!!!
On a wonderful note...I've been perusing Sweet Gum trees around here for weeks in the hopes of finding a Luna cat, cocoon or moth - but all I find are chewed up leaves. Then today as I was walking back to the dorm there was a Luna clinging to the wall of the entrance!!! Much too high to get a good photo but I gave it a shot :o) My first Luna...and considering I live in the deep south tip of Texas most likely my last.
~ Cat
Temporarily in Brunswick, Georgia
These are my first Spicebush Swallowtails. Don't get these beauties down in the deep south tip of Texas either so I was thrilled to photograph two different individuals this morning :o)
~ Cat
Temporarily in Brunswick, GA
Here's the other Spicebush Swallowtail - a bit tattered but a wonderful find for me.
~ Cat
Temporarily in Brunswick, GA
Cat, the Luna moth is a sight to behold every single shot! And your spicebush STs are lovely. I spotted one yesterday evening, but wasn't quick enough for a pic. I think I just saw a silver spotted skipper (?) on my NBC, will try to capture a shot if I can....brb.
Kim
Here is the 'lil beauty.
Found this little pretty..I assume some kind of Skipper too
Nanny, you've got a White there, probably a Cabbage White.
Everyone, I'm having a butterfly-filled weekend so I started a special thread for all my pictures. Check it out: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/863143/
Linda, I forgot to add that the Pipevine ST cats have much, much longer antennae-things on the front of their head than the Polydamas. When I compared the two kinds at MOSI it was really clear.
Thanks, Mellie! The ones I'm raising here are pretty dark now...I knew they were PVSTs. But I wondered about the ones at the nursery...because of the color. Okay, if I'll get the Polydamas cats some time I'll look at the antennas.
My two GST cats look like they're going to pupate soon.
One of my RSP cats posing for me.
And my PVST cats just keep on eating....
Linda what's your host plant the RSP in on?
My RSPs were on Escarpment Black Cherry, Prunus serotina var. eximia. The books list cherries, aspens, poplars, willows, hawthorns, apples and hornbeams on host trees.
Linda, that's quite a diverse cat family you have!
I was trying to be a good mom by putting the one BST cat that I'd brought inside back out. His brothers and sisters were now so much bigger that I thought the outdoor environment must be a better one. I was so worried about him that I sat out there on the ground to scare away the birds until I was sweating bullets.
Then one of the big cats left the fennel. I put him back on. He left again and so did another one. I came in a looked up their lifecycle and read that when they're ready to pupate, they leave the host plant. I wasn't letting them grow up!
I bought new fennel today and some parsley b/c I was worried that they were running out of food. Turns out, there are eggs all over the new fennel! I get to watch another batch-- or maybe not. It makes me a nervous wreck!
I was at our little farmers market yesterday and our local native plant guru was there (this guy is amazing) selling plants. I asked him if he had anything in the pipevine family for sale, and he said, "No." He said the reason you can see the butterflies around here, but not the plants, is that our natives are very low growing and they bloom underground.
However, he said he had a toothache tree. We'd gone on a native plant walk not too long ago and several people just had to see how numbing the leaves were if they chewed them- days later they still only had partial feeling. Pretty funny. It was wasn't until I got home that I realized that this is a Hercules Club that I see you all talking about!!!! It's a funky plant with purple petioles and spikes. Smells HORRIBLE. Zanthoxylum clava-herculi. I'm already very fond of it. :)
I also picked up native ruellia, Ruellia caroliniensis.
Good day!!!! And here I was just trying to find a disease free tomato.
Jenny
Horace's Duskywing on Lobelia. (The yellow is an Engelman Daisy.)
Carla
Hairstreak (not sure which variety) on a Sunflower.
Carla
Dad made a special point to show me this and he demanded I share it with everyone.
Melanie
I noticed a TST had eclosed today. They are so big...here's the dark female before it decided it didn't need to be on my arm outside. Bye-bye!
Mellie - LOVE THAT 'TOON!!!! That was hilarious!!!
Linda - what a fabulous female Tiger - ooooooooooooooh...I want to see one so bad!!! I've only caught glimpses of male Tigers flying overhead - those buggers just won't stop for a photo!!! Haven't seen any females yet either.
All I've seen are lots of Palamedes STs - so many on the wing as I walk through the forests along the man-made ditches and waterways that criss-cross the base.
Did get to see a lots of Carolina Satyrs today. Hadn't seen any in the past three weeks but today I counted a good two dozen.
~ Cat
(Temporarily in Brunswick, GA)
This message was edited Jun 15, 2008 7:03 PM
...and this is the first time I've been able to get a dorsal photo of a Carolina Satyr :o)
~ Cat
(Temporarily in Brunswick, GA)
This message was edited Jun 15, 2008 7:03 PM
