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My Palamedes ST cat is trying to pretend he's a snake. He sits there and weaves his head back and forth like he's a cobra or something. I think he's trying to mesmerize me!
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 51
Oh, I meant to say that the silver butterfly does indeed look like a Gray Hairstreak. And apparently his defenses are working on Marsue! Hairstreaks like to sit with their heads pointed down and their butts up in the air. The red spot and the "tails" make birds and other predators think that is the butterfly's head and they will try to attack that part. It gives the butterfly a chance to get away - maybe missing a chunk of wing, but still alive!
We had a cold front come through last night and this morning it was 59 degrees! That meant the butterflies at the museum were very still when I arrived this morning. The flight cage is like a screened in porch inside a larger screened in porch (where we have turtles and fish). Anyway, the butterflies are always escaping the flight cage and getting out into the larger enclosure. So I get out there with the net and bring them back in. This morning, there was a Zebra Longwing sitting on the ground, and I just leaned over and picked him up. It's nice to have slow butterflies for once.
Speaking of Zebra Longwings, they happen to be one of the butterflies that will roost together at night. So I had to take a picture when I saw these guys lined up in a row this morning. It's like someone hung them out to dry on a clothesline!
And this Monarch was out getting some nectar and soaking up the sun.
Melanie
Mellanie, that's such fascinating facts about the butterflies. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us all. Oh I can just dream of to see those Zebras roost at night, or finding them first thing when I wake up in the morning. Wow!
Melanie, do butterflies really go to sleep at night?
Cordele...we get Malachites at the ranch but none have ever stopped long enough for me to get a photo. That photograph in the other posting was from one feeding on butterfly brew at our local NABA Park in Mission, TX. It's not very often one is so cooperative...so either this one was very hungry or a little punch drunk from feeding on too much of the brew!!!
Mellie...what a wonderful photo of those roosting zebras!!! I wish I could see them like that at the park...but alas, by the time they go to roost the mosquitoes are out in full force!!!
...on a wonderful note...I got another life butterfly yesterday. A very rare Gilbert's Flasher. It was also at the park today so I was able to get more photographs. It wasn't even in the Bug Files...so I had to add it :o)
~ Cat
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/5350/
This message was edited Oct 19, 2008 9:16 PM
Wow! That butterfly can "flash" me anytime!
I don't think butterflies go to sleep like people do, but they have a period where they rest and their metabolism slows down and such. A couple of years ago when a vendor set up a butterfly tent at the USF butterfly festival, all the Zebra Longwings were crowded up in the corners with each other. But they started moving around once it got warm.
My Palamedes ST cat hasn't eaten anything since yesterday. He's just wandering around. It took him a long timebefore he pooped and when he did it was huge! Not like a gut purge; the frass pellet was so big I was thinking, "Doesn't that hurt?" I keep thinking maybe he's constipated, but he's pooped four times now. The last one I helped squish out of him. You can just feel how hard his body is at his tail end and I keep thinking maybe it's like a bowel obstruction. I think way too much about this, I know. I'm not sure if Palamedes change color before they pupate like the Spicebush. So far mine is still green, but his head did look like it might be changing. I just want to help him become a beautiful butterfly!
Melanie
Congrats on the life bf Cat!! It is a beauty!
Sweet Gilbert!! Cat!
Wow, you are some cat nurse Melanie!
:-S
It's not only the nightfall that causes butterflies to "sleep", but their temps need to be 80ish for them to fly. Basking in the sun warms them on sunny days, and fruitfeasters convert their food into glycerol which works like antifreeze. Nectar stores can produce the same effect in nectaring butterflies.
Mellie, I am assuming that you work at the museum? Lucky you to get work in a place like that! That is some interesting info you posted about the Gray Hairstreak's defense mechanism as well as the other butterfly facts. The Zebra Longwings "roosting" together is such a neat photo!
Cat, that Gilbert's Flasher is gorgeous! I wonder if it glows in the dark--LOL
Here's a pic of an American Painted Lady, a Buckeye, two skippers and the Gray Hairstreak--all feeding on the same mum bush.
Those are beautiful mums, marsue!
Thanks, Deb! I have 4 purple, 7 yellow and 3 red mums--most of which are in the bed which lines our driveway. They have made a lovely show of color this fall. BTW, y'all, Deb was the one who first suggested to me on a DG thread last autumn that I should make a lasagna bed. Then I had to find out what a lasagna bed is--LOL! DH and I made two of them last autumn and have plans to do a couple more and let them "cook" through the winter. Thanks again, Deb!
You're very welcome! Glad those beds are helping your plants bring you more butterflies!
Wish I had some butterflies.
Here's one from Friday when I was in Indiana
some sort of punctuation…
Mrs. Ed I love seeing all your butterfly pictures. I can't even begin to know all of the ones you post. Most of them like that one in the above pic I've never seen in real life.
oh thanks! Well we're not seeing many now. I will do lots of research over the winter to see what new ones I can see come the summer!
Beautiful picture and good spotting on the Gilbert Flasher!
Marilyn, I thought your hairstreak was a Northern Hairstreak and not a Gray Hairstreak because the black and white midline seemed to form a "w". However, I'm looking at pictures of both and they look the same to me! LOL!
Many of you have better pictures of longtailed skippers but here he is anyway.
Elphaba, do you see any Tersa Sphinx moth cats on your pentas?
No, I sure don't see any Tersa Sphinx moth cats, but I did see a TS moth the other day when the roofers were here. I pointed it out to them and they looked at me like I was crazy!
And they probably called you the bug lady when you weren't looking. LOL I get those looks too. ROFOLO
Marsue, I just volunteer at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on Sundays. In my normal life, I'm an accountant for the county government. I had been looking to volunteer somewhere and nothing quite felt right. Then, I took my mom to a Mother's Day tea at the butterfly garden. It made sense to volunteer doing something that is already a hobby. I mean, I would generally spend Sunday morning hiking and collecting caterpillars anyway. And this way I get to raise more species at a time!
In the latest news, my Palamedes ST gut purged, turned yellow, and is wandering around looking for somewhere to pupate.
Melanie
turned yellow! wowee
How nice, Mellie, that you get to volunteer doing something you would be doing anyway. Sounds wonderful.
That's a very bright yellow! LOL
My computer is giving me problems so I may not be on here for a few days. I'll give y'all a "shout" when I get back online. Hope all the butterflies aren't gone by then.
Marilyn
Good stuff, (flowers, butterflies and cats) you guys!
This lil Tawny Emperor went with me the other day to pick up Ben from school. I got in and noticed him flitting around the passenger side window.
It rode on Ben's finger all the way home...
When we got home we let it go, but he wasn't in a big hurry.
wow, you've got them trained to come to YOU for photographing! Nicely done!
Thanks Mrs Ed, And you will likely see more butterflies on sunny days, such as the Comma in your pic, and the other "punctuation" butterfly, lol. Snouts, Vanessas, and other brushfoots too.
Found 2 more Black ST cats and brought them in a cage today... They will overwinter with the other swallowtails I have already in hibernation mode. One of the Monarchs may eclose tomorrow.
you should have seen me chasing a morning cloak around last Thursday in Indiana! I'm told it was a very funny sight! No picture though.
Do you have some brew out? They usually flock to it. Mourning Cloak are a gorgeous brushfoot, (or, alcoholic butterfly).
oh this was in a state park while on a little vacation. We were having a picnic and I jumped up and ran off. I saw ONE MC last year in September, but none again until last week.
Can you post a wider shot of your bait station? Looks pretty cool.
Cute photo Deb :o)
Ben would have enjoyed the Tawnys at our NABA park. They congregated on all the bait stations and every time anyone would get close several would fly up and land on them :o)
~ Cat
Sure wish we'd get some MCs on our bait....but noooooooooo...the gazillion tawnys hog it all :o)
~ Cat
oh my word!!!! I never got more than three on my brew!
But Cat lives in butterfly heaven down in the valley near Mexico!!! She is cheating!! LOL!
Lets all move there!
("") ("") Paws raised high!!!
Yeppers, this Cat is in an area that is as close to butterfly and birding heaven as one can get and still stay in the United States :o)
We had our annual butterfly festival this past weekend. Thursday was drizzly and cloudy and even at that we had 54 species in one garden. The weather cleared up the following days and one man had 95 species on Saturday just from the NABA park!!! That's more than some states (snicker snicker). :o)
I'd really like to see all 320 species that have been recorded here but am slowing making my life list. I started using the 'Butterflies I've Seen Web Site" link on the main NABA website and have been adding butterflies as the days and years go by.
~ Cat
This is one called a Silver Emperor - have been photographing this one for a couple of years trying to get that "blue" sheen that shows up on the wings when the sun hits it just right :o) The underside gets a "silver" sheen when the sun hits it just right too...hence the name, I guess.
Deb: Ben is so cute--he looks to be about the same age as my DGS, who is 8.
Wow: those are some really gorgeous butterflies, ladies. I have never seen any of those. I need to stick around on this thread--there is no telling what I might learn! The winter will be a good time for me to start storing new and interesting facts about BF's in my memory bank (computer and brain)!
Computer is working somewhat better today, thank goodness. I'm on high speed internet but my computer is almost 5 years old so it has become a "dinosaur" in the computer world. LOL I'm wanting to get a laptop but that will have to wait for awhile.
Keep posting those great photos, please!
Marsue, boy do I know how you feel. Mine is going on 9 years old and I am thankful for every day it continues to run. One of these days, though....
Loving all these pics, you guys. To be honest, I never knew all these butterflies and moths existed. It's like a whole new world has opened up for me. THANKS!
Barb
I'm not very good with butterflies ... is this a Cloudless Sulphur?
Carla
