DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 39

Melanie, your vacation pictures were amazing! I just got back from vacation too. I have a few photos to share, but I'm still trying to figure out what they are! You really hit the jackpot.

Lily, I'm so jealous of your buckeye! I've wanted to see one for so long!

Today, I saw the strangest thing. A male pipevine was trying to mate with a polydamas. She was having none of it and perched on a branch. He was flying circles around her and everytime he'd come in close she flap her wings to make him go away. I'll share a few pictures of it because I just think it's so weird.

Here's another shot.

This is the only shot with her wings open. I think she was showing her spots to tell him that she was not his kind of girl! She had them open initially and then closed them so she could flutter them and keep him away.

This is the last one. She finally dropped down into the foliage where he couldn't find her and he flew away.

Beautiful shots Elphaba! Guess he didn't want to take NO for an answer. I've never seen a Pipevine bf in my area, only lots of Polydamas. Someday I hope!

snuzer...congrats on the Ruddy Daggerwing!!!

Those guys are uncommon for us so I only get to see maybe two or three a year.

Had one in my yard last year and I quicky went out and purchased some fig trees just in case any others would show up. I also added a couple of potted mulberry trees too - they are supposed to use that as a larval host as well. But alas, none have shown up again.

A great uncle has a huge banyon tree (which is extremely rare for this part of Texas) in his yard - every time I visit I look it over for caterpillars but have yet to find any :o)

~ Cat

Elphaba- Your pictures are really cool! That must have been fun to watch. I especailly like the first one. So pretty.

BTW- I put the black and white creature up on the insect ID forum and found that it is a White-tipped Black Moth (Melanchroia chephise). I see fly-girl and Melanie both had pictures on the Bugfile link that I was given. So- mystery solved.

Thanks for the kind words about the Ruddy Daggerwing. I hope I see it again, as I still would like to get a picture of it that's not fuzzy. I guess I shouldn't have let the Chaya grow so tall. It makes it hard to photograph butterfies nectaring on top of it.

I just got back from the Black Hills of South Dakota. That's about 1300 miles north of me, but for some reason, I didn't expect the butterflies to be so different. Here's one that I can't identify, but I just loved it!

BTW, Wnddyer, your Zebra ST took my breath away!

Here's one of those black and white ones with its wings closed.

This message was edited Jul 20, 2008 9:06 PM

I think you may have a White Admiral there. Can I get a second opinion?

I'm thinking it might be Weidemeyer's Admiral....I've never seen it but it looks right. Cool butterfly, regardless!
http://www.desertusa.com/mag00/aug/papr/butter.html
http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=weidemeyer%27s+admiral&search=Search



This message was edited Jul 20, 2008 9:20 PM

linda, you beat me to it. and it sure is beeeeutiful
Elaine

Finally, we have some representation from the West Coast, LOL! Pretty butterfly!

Elphaba, Bug Files really needs some pics of that butterfly, if you don't mind!

I added the pictures to bugfiles. Thanks for the ID!

This photo is also from Spearfish Canyon, SD. Melanie's photos led me to believe that these are also Eastern Tailed Blues, another new one for me.

Wow, how prettye those ETB are!!! And the Admiral! Wow, Elphaba, please send some of those my way. lol.

I think this is one of the Spicebush ST? I've sassafras growing in the area.
Kim

Pretty one Kim!

After this one, I only have one more butterfly photo from my trip to figure out. I think this one is a Regal Fritillary. I saw it at the Valentine Wildlife Refuge in Nebraska. I looked up Nebraska butterflies and there are a ton of fritillaries and not all had pictures of the underside. Regal seemed like the best fit, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

I also absolutely loved this plant on which it was feeding. The flowers were almost orchid-like. Does anyone know what the plant is?

Here's another view. I didn't get one with the wings open. He didn't leave that flower the whole time that I was watching him!

Looks like a milkweed to me. Look at this one, it's pretty similar: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54079/

I think your Blue butterflies may be the Summer Azure, or one of the other Azures (don't know which ones they have up there). It doesn't have any orange spots on it and lacks tails. That's cool that you got a shot of them puddling like that!

Melanie

Wow, Greek milkweeds!!! And it's a hardy perennial to boost!!!

I've these fellows all over in the garden, and they're quite tamed. They let me very close, as if they sensed that I was only asking for their posing for the camera. lol. Not with the spicebush b.f. They fly high and far when I stalked them. lol.

Those lovely blues don't show the little tails of the Eastern Tailed Blues. I think another possibility is the Greenish Blue, which is also found in that state.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/25076
It's hard to tell with those blues, isn't it? I wish we had more blues down here. One of my favorite colors! I went out earlier looking at the passionflower vines...no eggs, no cats, nothing found. It's really strange! I've never seen this happen in summer. My garden seems strangely haunted or something.

I was looking up South Dakota butterflies to identify this crescent and I read about Western Tailed-Blues. I was thinking that my blues might be that variety when I read y'alls posts with other thoughts! I'll have to investigate more! Thanks for the ID on the milkweed. It's a gorgeous one. I'll have to see if I can grow some next season.

Kim, can't believe your skippers are tame! Mine rarely even stop!

I think this one is a Northern Crescent also from South Dakota.

I'm more confused than ever! I looked up Linda's Greenish Blue and thought that must be it and then I looked up azures and they looked like it too! You're right Linda. It's very hard to tell even with lots of them and lots of photos! This was another group of what I'm assuming is the same butterfly whatever it is!

Ooh those blues, they're so cute when they congergate together in group. I wanted one! lol.

Oh, man! I'm so happy....I was outside and a white flew by...then a Giant Swallowtail...so my yard was not totally butterfly-less! Every butterfly I see is so precious now.

Same with me, Linda. But, activity has picked up this week. I hope it continues. : )
~Lucy

That's good news y'all! Thus far I've G.F. Spicebush, many skippers, Eastern ST, RSP, but I too have noticed an abundant of pradator wasps and such in the garden this year.....
I was happy to find more sulphers in the garden as well.

What do the preditor wasp look like? There are wasps of all sizes swarming around my blooming Bronze Fennel. I can see them sitting here looking out my window. It is loaded with 4th instar cats and newly hatched babes. My cage has probably 20 or more cats in it. What should I do? .................................

Update before hitting send key:

Just typing about those stranded with the wasps made me get up and cut every stalk with cats and made a new wet foam container. Set the whole lot inside the big castle. It's crowded, but all accounted for. By the way, a wasp was eating a cat when I got outside face to face with the fennel. I didn't know they would eat them!

That is the best we can do for them.

Lookie!!

My dilemma is that I have more GF cats and now eggs than I will have enough leaves for. As soon as the leaves start to grow back, here comes another mama GF. However, I really had fun watching her . She stayed for a long time and didn't seem to mind (well, not too much) that I was there invading her privacy. I want to post a few of her pictures. I tried making a composite (twice), but it really took away from the detail needed to see the eggs-- so please bear with me. #1

This message was edited Jul 21, 2008 7:57 PM

#2

In this one, I think she was trying to get away from me for a minute, but she didn't go far. Or maybe she was taking a very short rest.

Hey everyone, this thread is super long so let's move over here and continue the discussion: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/880175/

Congrats Mrs Ed!!! Looks like a healthy Monarch you have there!
Snuzer...Those are some great pictures of the GF laying eggs. Looks like the little cats need to move to greener pastures! LOL!

Well on to Mel's new thread....

Yes, greener pastures are sorely needed. However, I may not be able to provide greener pastures until there is more green in my wallet!!