Becky,
Yes, I've been seeing a few BSTs. I was out in the garden for the past couple of hours putting together a "conversation seat" and doing some weeding and I had a ton of butterflies. At one point I counted at least a dozen just around the Jatropha and Porterweed. There were several Monarchs, a bunch of GFs, a couple of BSTs and even one Giant ST.
We've had a lot of rain, too, but it comes in late afternoon, so the butterflies take advantage of the morning.
Things are growing really well with all the rain. The passionvine is taking over the trellises. I only have one large fennel plant, so was amazed at all the cats on it. I had to go buy parsley when I brought them in the cage.
Terrie
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 38
Here's a picture I took this morning of some of my passionvine. You can also see a GF above it against the house.
Here's a picture of some of those 70 cats that were on my fennel. 8*D
Lucy, thank you. I checked on the Senna bicapsularis today. They too are loade down with these cats. lol.
Terrie, I've many fennels in the garden. I'm dreaming of the day mine will load up with cats. like yours. Green with envies, but happy for you too.
Kim
Congrats on the cats Lily Love and you too Terrie!! Your Passiflora looks beautiful.
Thank you Sheila, I'm pleased. Lookie, lookie, have I got a longtailed skipper here?
Kim
Looks like you do indeed!!
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/images?l=1922
Kim, in your second photo of the cassia you realize there are two caterpillars there, right? I just wondered since you used the singular "fella". Congrats by the way! And congrats on being able to see the little guys - they blend in so well.
I tried declaring my independence from weeds today but I know it will only be temporary. I did find this Red-Banded Hairstrak beneath my begonias. I've found several of those guys in that area; I think they like the leaf litter from the oaks above.
Melanie
Melanie, yes when I took the pic. I saw only one. But when the picture was posted, I discovered there two. lol. Ohh, and since then I've found many, many more. Yippies!!!
I love those RBH. They're so tiny, they're darlings! I've many of them here this time of year.
I just love hairstreaks too and longtailed skippers. This skipper is pretty cute though.
Dining in -- way in!
Go for the gold!!
LOL! That nectar must have been as good as a gold medal because he finally came out and then went back in for seconds!
This swallowtail just stopped for one photo and took off. I can't tell what kind it is, but it's sure had a tough life.
It's so good to see all those cats!!! Lovely butterfly photos too.
Really, really nice to know folks out there are seeing more butterflies as the season progresses.
I drove out to the ranch and it pretty much drizzled most of the day. We need the rain so much - so that is a good thing.
There weren't many butterflies out but I did see several lysides flitting in and out of the cover of the trees.
Also was able to catch this wee Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis Ioie) ovipositing :o)
~ Cat
This message was edited Jul 4, 2008 8:05 PM
Got caught in the act.! LOL, the sulphur is lovely. Thanks Cat.
Kim
Nice shot Cat! That is one for the bugfiles for sure.
Very nice shot Cat. Those little ones are hard to photograph too!
This Giant Swallowtail landed above me. Notice the rolled brown thing on the bottom left. In some other, more blurry pictures, it looks like a rolled leaf but it's definitely attached with silk. Does anybody recognize it?
Whoo...hooo!! You have a chrysalis there. I bet it is a GST since you have them visiting in numbers. Here is a picture of both a GST and a BST together. Keep in mind the Black Swallowtail can also be brown depending on what is around them they make the chrysalis. That one had parsley in the cage.
edited to say....I looked back at that pic again and it looks like it is flat against the leaf not suspended?
This message was edited Jul 5, 2008 1:26 PM
It is flat against the leaf. Maybe it's just a dead leaf that took some spider web with it when it fell.
Could be some type of moth. What is the plant?
Ahhh...I'm full of lunch and have had my fair share of butterfly action today. Kristen, my boss at MOSI is on vacation this week and was really relying on the volunteers to help out. Since I had a three-day weekend I figured I could go on Saturday and Sunday to check up on the caterpillars.
So when I got there most everything looked good - except the Long-Tailed Skippers had no food. They had been feeding them beans, but all we had left in the gardens were stalks. Luckily, I'm a smart girl. I grabbed one of the butterfly books we keep in the lab and looked up what other host plants they can use. I knew most cats that eat bean or pea plants usually will accept several kinds. I read through the list and looked at the pictures and one looked familiar. It was beggarweeds (genus Desmonium). I remembered a while back I had some blooming under my oak tree and I thought it was pretty so I looked it up.
MOSI has an area they literally call the "Back Woods". They have trails and so I wandered back there looking for this weed. I finally found some and clipped a whole bunch to take back. I was still unsure if I had the right plant or if the cats would even eat it. I put it in the tank and waited a few minutes while they explored and settled down. A few of them had to build their leaf shelter right away. But this guy started eating flower petals, buds, and the stem!
While I was hiking back there I saw a Spicebush ST which was neat. This cat had to get comfy before he would eat. But once I saw three or four of them eating, I knew they would be ok. I'm just glad I came in today and got them some food or they might have died or eaten each other. They were already snapping at each other when I came in.
This White Peacock was hanging out on the bacopa. I'd tell it to lay some eggs but we have so many caterpillars right now.
Back at home, my Polydamas cat decided it was time to make a chrysalis. I had two gut purges today to deal with as well. Yuck!
Once I got home, I had to check the beggarweeds around my tree. By the way folks, it's a good idea to leave an area a little weedy if you can. We live on the corner, so I let the weeds grow down by the road. The beggarweeds grow around a big oak tree we have. I also let the Spanish Needles grow down there and there's some purple lantana that someone must have planted a long time ago. Some of the best butterfly plants are weeds. Sure enough, I saw some areas that were eaten and some leaves that had been silked, but all I found was three eggs, and I lost one of them when I was walking around. I'll have to remember to check that area more often for caterpillars.
While walking around I also saw a Giant ST, Zebra Longwing, Gulf Frit, and what I'm pretty sure was a Black ST. I also saw one of the medium-sized sulphurs but it flew across the street. Of course, the Cassius Blues were on the plumbagos as always. My loyal Horace's Duskywings were out and about; they really seem to enjoy the new plants I've added. Here's one on my blue porterweed.
"It's OK to leave an area a little weedy if you can" LOL!!! Not a problem!
Here's a pretty moth I saw in the woods this morning.
Good thinking there Mel! That's using your knowledge.
I am in a down time right now on bf raising. I had been feeding about 22 or so BST cats last week but everyone is now in chrysalis form. I released 10 one day that was a record for me. Now they are coming 3, 4 and 5. But the last two days, nothing. Guess they knew it was a holiday weekend! LOL!
I guess I am getting early "old timers". I had been feeding this cocoon looking thing I got off of a Maple tree a few weeks back and found out it was a bag worm and sent it to it's next life. I also had at the same time a black fuzzy cat that was on my Rose of Sharon (Althea). So where between the time I was rid of the worm and now, I began feeding the poor fuzzy thing maple leaves!!! Fortunately it was eating them but not as vigorously. Finally today it occurred to me that that was the critter that was found on my ROS!!! I quickly brought in some and he eagerly started eating them. Guess I will have to wait to find out what poor cat I was abusing when he finally pupates. I am pretty sure it is a moth, probably no descript, but after treating it so mean I owe it a full life. LOL!
Just updated that unknown plant with a caterpillar on it. It turned out to be a female Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus).
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/863598/
~ Cat
Cat, love the Hairstreak! I was reading about some of my weeds today and one of them is a host for Hairstreaks. I did see one in that area the other day, too...but I didn't see any cats on the plants. I'll keep looking, though. When Mom and I came home from the bookstore there was a Polydamas nectaring on the plumbagos, and then the verbena, and then the porterweed, then back to the plumbagos. I was getting dizzy!
Melanie
Cutie little hairstreak Cat! Guess I missed that thread.
Great photos gang! Y'all are really getting good at capturing these beauties. I get my butterfly fix looking at your photos. Not a whole lot of action going on here this summer. Last year my action was in the late Fall and Winter months! We shall see what happens this year! :-)
That hairstreak was just beautiful cat!
Melanie, the butterflies have stopped going to my plumbago even though it's blooming. I've noticed some branches are dying back. I guess butterflies would know if a plant is sick because there would be less to drink. Plumbago is so hardy though. I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I always liked the plumbago b/c of the hummingbird moths, but I haven't seen any this year. Weird.
This Tropical Checkered Skipper stopped by this morning. This time I was able to get a picture of the underside of the wings, so I think it is a tropical and not a common checkered.
Here's the underside, so you can correct me if I'm wrong. My book says that the tropical has three dark spots on the leading edge of the hindwing below. I'm not exactly sure what the "leading edge" is - the top part of the bottom wing?
This Silver-Spotted Skipper enjoyed a drink of from the Carnation of India. Don't you find white flowers impossible to photograph? They just glow.
OK, I just went out to whack at the sickly looking plumbago and the butterflies came out in droves. There were two beautiful pipevines and a polydamas who was trying to chase them off. Here's one of the pipevines.
Elphaba, the PV is gorgeous contrasting her/his beautiful blue with the Pentas!!! Wow!
Taking pix of white flower is a real challenge! Here is mine, Casa Blanca. But look, my Redbanded hairstreak is nearby. :-)
Another view.
Lily, that Casa Blanca is beautiful! That little hairstreak looks even more tiny next to it!
Elphaba, the first time I discovered the Redbanded hairstreak. I captured a picture of one on my flower. The pix was intended for the flower, thus I was unaware of the lovely on the bloom until I enlarge the pix to see in close up.
Just to share how truly beautiful the flower is. Here is the macroshot of of the lovely. My tinsy hairstreak flew off...
Am I imagining things or can I smell it from hear! It looks like it has a wonderful fragrance. Thanks for sharing.