We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/904288/
I thought I'd lead off with butterfly sex photos! The Cassius Blues are busy making babies on the plumbagos again.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 48
Eating and mating at the same time - these butterflies sure can multi-task!
Twin-spotted skipper dropped by for some pentas.
And a Dun Skipper resting on porterweed.
White Peacock has been hanging out, too.
Saw some Phaeon Crescents but couldn't get a picture. By the way, when I started volunteering at MOSI, Kristen (my boss) and I got into a discussion about whose stinkhorns (osmeterium) were the smelliest. I voted Zebra ST and she voted Spicebush ST. I hadn't raised any Spicebushes so I couldn't really say. However, I just had my Spicebush cat stinkhorn me and OH MY GOD!! It was FOUL! I completely concur that they are the stinkiest. Mom wasn't in the room at the time and Dad and I were gagging. Then, Mom walks in and says, "What smells?" I laughed and told her and we all voted that Spicebushes are the stinkiest. The thing is eating camphor so I'm like, "Shouldn't he smell like Vicks Vap-O-Rub?" If I was a predator I would be running away as fast as I could.
Melanie
Great pics there... and I thought I had some strange conversations..... LOL
Lots of Question Marks around right now.
Question Marks really love the bf brew bait Nanny. If you have a lot of them around you can get a group shot. Good pic, I love the QM!
Great photos Melanie! Funny story on the stinky spicebush, can't imagine anything worst than the BST, but take your word for it. lol!
Yesterday I had a friend call asking me to take some GF cats because they didn't have any passion vine left to eat. He brought about 30 I think it was, and we released them on two of my vines. As we stood there watching them grab hold and start munching a GF female was oviposting and then a hummer started hovering over her like she thought she was the flower she smelled! Of course I had no camera at the time!!
Later I went out to check the cats and she or another were depositing more eggs! But this time I had carried my little pocket camera.
This message was edited Sep 24, 2008 6:09 AM
The hummers just love my Incense Passionflower blooms! They also love those tall Lion's Ear plants now...they'll seek out those two kinds of blooms over and over. Yes, too bad you didn't have your camera...I'm still laughing at myself about the morning I was carry my camera and got excited when I saw a butterfly. So excited I ran into the house to get my camera and then realized I was carrying it. Senior moment!
LOL, I have alot of those Senior moments, Linda. : ) That's not good, cause I'm not quite a Senior yet. Is 54 a senior? Sure feels like it. lol : )
monarch yesterday
buckeye
oh nanny! I had a question mark today too. My first. It was not on the butterfly brew, but in the area.
I also had a Red Admiral (finally) but did not get a picture. Maybe tomorrow.
I think my butterfly brew is too thin, but I'm not sure. Not many takers but lots of bees and flies. I moved a chunk of wood into the shade by my office window and even less activity on it.
I think my senior moments started about age 50....but I have forgotten...not sure! lol! At work they used to call them brain f--ts, those pockets of air are everywhere!
Mrs Ed....my butterfly brew is thin also. I took some cantelope and peach pieces and poured it over them this year. Mine is in some sun, so I have to add a little each day. It just has to get real stinky first. I hung it near a fly bag and it is loaded with flies in two days, so I did that.
Well I saw more GFs today four to be exact. Then a Monarch flew around and around but didn't lay eggs Just wanted nectar. Note to self..check MW in front yard for eggs!
So far, I have brought in a total of 45 Monarch caterpillars in the last 3wks.
38 are in chrysalis (1 fatality)
6 left eating
I lost my first one today. It was one of 13 cats that were brought inside in the later instars (having overlooked them early on). I marked those cages with an "x" to get the percentages of them separate from the ones that were first or second instar rescues. I just want to see what difference I am making in my yard by getting them early. This chrysalis was only one day old when it turned dark and two days old when I noticed the hole. I missed the parasite that did the deed though. This is what the poor thing looked like. It is gross!
A Giant Swallowtail trapped in my lanai.
I was checking (I thought) the Rue off and on for caterpillars. But didn't see this one until I saw the defoliation signs. This is the cat for the GST like bsharf pictured above, and the first I have seen this year. I also spotted another egg!
While getting leaves for the Monarch cats I have caged, I came across this guy. I may be making a mistake in not relocating him, but he was so cute!
Yikes on the Monarch chrysalis Sheila! Nice pics in the previous thread. The one you asked about looks like a Fiery Skipper. I collected a couple Monarch eggs myself, we shall see if they are good in a day or so.
Pretty asters Mrs. Ed. I see lots of butterflies in your future, lol! I'm thinking the bf up there is a Eastern Comma, because of the profound curves in the wing's edges. The QM has one large curve.
Bsharf~ All your pics are lovely!
Still have 6 BST cats. Did have 7, but 1 died. 3 pupating and 3 still eating.
Hi everyone, look at these adorable BEST cats. They're outdoor in a pot, as the weather is getting cooler, will they survive frost outdoor? How long will it take for them before they eclose? Any help offered is appreciated. I was thinking to bring the babies indoor pot and all. Will that assure their safety? Will they have time to migrate south for the winter?
Wow, those are alotta cats!
I would just flip if I went out in my garden and saw all those!!
Hmmm...they might eclose and fly off...or they might overwinter (in which case they'd need to be in a fairly cold place). But is that one plant all you have? I'm thinking they'll probably eat that plant up and need more.
Linda, I'm glad you've mentioned that. It's time for me to start getting more Parsleys from the nursery for these 'lil ones.
For next year, why not grow some more from seed? Mine reseed...I mean they REALLY reseed. Home-grown is safer...no pesticides and no Bt.
I purchased some Parsley recently, local nursery staff advised that I quaranteen the plants for a week to allow the chemical they've used to wear off. A week later, I took the plant out of quaranteen, the moma BST found it and left this brood behind:
Sulpher on encore Azaleas bloom.
I wish there were more butterflies taking advantage of this, but I really am happy to see these bees.
I didn't hit watch on the new thread and I was wondering where everyone's butterflies went. Here they are : D
My computer had picture overload and I just finally did some backing up and got my pictures off my camera. Here's a Great Spangled.
I finally got a picture of an American Lady. : ) You weren't kiddin when you said they are camera shy!!
Another view.
I'm sorry for another American Lady, but I really like this one.
I'll be back I am being summoned to my motherly duties now ; )
Hi Kim!
Nice cats!
For years I let them alone on the parsley and as soon as they would get big enough to pupate disappear. At first I figured they crawled off to make their chrysalids until one day I observed a Cardinal tugging on my parsley. Yep, sure enough, Cardinal waited until they were just plump enough to take home to the wife. Surely she was impressed!! Winter birds forage around to find chrysalids as well, not to mention spiders etc.
Since then I have found the best way is to cage them and feed them their last bites in a safe place. They pupate and then I can save them by carefully peeling away the silk and attaching several to the side of a gladware, laying a paper towel under, and with the middle cut out of the lid, snapping a fine fabric tightly over the rim.
If it is getting cooler there, chances are they could hibernate, and emerge in April. I have one straggler now and all it's siblings emerged over 4 weeks ago. It is a very healthy chrysalis, so I am sure it's ok. It's hard to say which ones will emerge before winter and which ones will sleep through.
For me, given all the above, I rather be on the safe side.
Hope this helps a little bit
Debnes
LOL Meridith! We were posting at the same time, :-).
Great pics of AL, and the GSF!!
:-S
Ahhhh, those cardinals!!! LOL, Deb, I'll try to cage them in the next day or so. Thanks so very much for the tips.
Currently I've a small plastic cage for more than half dozen of G.F. larvae. Most have pulpated a week ago. Then I've this one that determined to pupate 'out of the box'. Within a week, hopefully they will eclose for me. Last year I raised a few as late as Nov. Hopefully this will be a success.
debnes, I'm so glad you shared that! I always assume the cats have pupated. Now I'm not so sure. I think I am going to set something up next year. My dream is to have a big screened in area with host plants and a few nectar plants right inside. My own little butterfly house : )
how about one of those screen porches. Think that is big enough? Better add some grow lights. Oh and don't forget a lounge chair for keeping an eye on the babies! Might as well add a little refrigerator while you are at it. Might want to have a fan too.
Ooooh Meredith, you've just gave me a fantastic idea!!! See, my neighbor has such a screened in porch. And they barely use it. I can ask if they let me rent it from them? You think a good neighbor would understand, or will they put a barbwire fence up next spring to keep me away? LOL.
LOL do you already have the blueprints!? : )
Lily lol we posted at the same time. If your neighbors are that cool I'll be very jealous! : )
Mrs_Ed, GMTA!!! LOL, only the cold wind during the winter -- that is just a minor factor. lol.
Mrs ed I was actually wondering about the amount of light the plants would get through screening. I thought even the top should be screen, (kind of like the lanais in Florida, but made out of wood) perhaps with a little farmers porch section for the fridge and fan and momma! lol : ) Then I was thinking people that already have lanais could do this no problemo!!