DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 61

That was a really good rattler photo! Hope you weren't as close as it looks there!
mjs, way to go on the zebra...I am jealous because we don't ever see those.

Oh yeah...I was close...really close. I had to keep the bugger in my sights until my brother could drive from the ranch house to the back field where I was. We both coordinated the catch while my sister-in-law sat screaming and freaking out in the truck :o)

He does taxidermy and will do that full time once he retires (so much for being truly retired right?!) Anyway, we dropped it into a sack and he put it into the freezer - he'll work on it later and I guess at that time we'll find out what it had for dinner.

I would have been much more excited to see a Zebra Swallowtail!!! But alas, we don't get those here - trade ya for a rattler? Hee hee

~ Cat

That's ok Cat, we get our fair share of rattlers around here, rarely have I seen one quite that big before except for about 10 years ago when I moved out here to my farm, it was still pretty wild around here then...

Okay, I'm ready for the butterflies and hummingbirds. Here's my new garden.

with one of two bait stations…

I can see the camera getting full of pictures this summer!!! Nice little paths laid out for sneaking up on them!

And I've reserved a sitting spot too! I just had a hummingbird at the salvias! If you visit the bird forum, you'll know that I'm a whiner about not having summer hummingbirds. So this is a mission for me!

Here's what's in the garden.

Honeysuckle vine "Dropmore Scarlet"
Lanceleaf Plantain
Parsley
Yarrow "Paprika"
Sedum "Autum Joy"
Nicotiana
Salvia: "Ocean Blue", "Mesa Purple", "Mesa Pink", "Lady Red"
Phox: "Laura", "Sherbet Cocktail," NOID Red
Obedient Plant, White
Dwarf Aster
Dwarf Goldenrod
Zinnia
Dwarf Cosmos
Alyssum
Ageratum
Lobelia
coleus
perilla
Butterfly Weed
Butterfly Weed, "Gay Butterflies"
Catmint
Agastache "Desert Sunrise"
Agastache cana

Then along the fence, adjoining the new garden,
Salvia Splendens,
2 types of Monarda
Daylilies
Salvia (similar to May Night)
Coneflowers
Agastache "Honeybee Blue"
Agastache cana "Sinning"
Butterfly bush (dead perhaps)
Zinnia
Poppies
Butterfly Weed
Liatris
Sweat Pea
Daisies
Rudbeckia
Oxeye Daisy,
Missouri Primrose (Can't forget the moths)
Borage
Phlox
and some other misc. items not there for butterflies

and this all is near the herbs (lots of dill, rue, parsley, garlic chives, etc.)

MAN, can I cram it in!

Mrs_ Ed,
Add some Salvia "Black and Blue" or "Purple Majasty"...big hummer draw...!!!!!

hi all, just wanted to show a few of my pictures one of my GRS

and another i have billions of butterfly pictures they are so pretty i cant stop taking the pictures

I agree blond!

Oh MJs. I forgot. I have black and blue salvia. I love that one. It's not blooming yet though.

Also forgot Lavender, Homestead Purple verbena, pansy, impatiens and perhaps a hosta (still assessing the sun situation in that area).

This Texas Powdered Skipper emerged a couple of days ago, but for some reason, I couldn't post any pics then.

And here's another kind of skipper on Blackfoot Daisy.

here is my newly hatched GST

Linda...that TPS is a cutie!!!
Congrats on the GST cat Blond, I love them.

i do too i have to bring them in the house until they get to a certain size then let them back or they get killed

Right blond~ All sorts of predators out there, Great butterfly shots!

Sweet Skippers Linda!

Let's see what I have this week so far...

Little Cabbage White on Silky Gold

Polyphemus still munching away... (Ones I adoped from Josephine). My daughters 3 are already in thier changing rooms.

lol

Great photo Linda. Gotta love that TPS!!!

Blond - Guess it's GST time too - I've seen some cats on my tangerine tree - and lots of eggs. Had noticed a GST flitting around for the past few weeks...glad to see it left little presents :o)

Also notice the Checkered Skippers using Three Lobed False Mallow that grows wild in my yard. Tried to look for eggs but it's such a low growing plant and my knees don't allow me to get down for a closer look.

Deb...can't wait to see those Polyphemus when they pupate and emerge. Such gorgeously big moths!

Still have to travel out of town for work this week and won't get back until Friday...but that's a good thing because my vacation starts next week! YIPPEE! I do hope the weather is agreeable and I'll be able to get some butterflying in.

We actually had 3.5 inches of rain at the ranch on Saturday. It was so nice! We really needed it. It only rained .5 inches at my home in the city though...bummer...but at least I have a sprinkler system :o)

~ Cat

here is a visitor the other day, i go and collect caterpillars for the butterfly encounter near me.

here is the caterpillar

Great shot of the Tiger Swallotail Deb,
With all the rain, I haven't seen a BF all week. Somethings been munching on the purple firespike you sent me tho. ( boy that stuff rooted easy!)
Cat... I'd gladly send you some of the rain we've gotten here.....here in Central Fl., we've gotten in some places 25 inches ! approaching 20 inches here on the farm in the last week.

hey mj
it is a zebra swallowtail and caterpillar, do you need any more of the firespike, it does seem to root easy and the hummers love it to. i just had mine in the garden and was less then 2 ft away no butterflies today going to rain again
i am sick of it..
woow you got that much rain already, i know we have gotten alot but i dont know how much pretty close the drainage ditch near us is almost full and i was empty.
debi

ya know I meant Zebra Swallowtail...I think my brain is turned to mush from the rain.....I posted a pick of a zebra last week here...( I think)

The other Firespike cuttings you sent are doing great too, just something munched the one...don't know what it could be a host plant for....?
ok..back outside...gotta bring the horses back up, before they grow web-hooves...........

GST has dropped by briefly for a couple of days, RSP was here yesterday and today I think I saw a Spicebush. I've been really busy planting some plants so unless the butterflies stick around a while, I can't do pics.

Let's see...my Palamedes ST was parasitized with one of those nasty wasps. Waaahh! I guess I'll have to go hunt more this weekend (sniff, sniff). I had a Zebra ST emerge this morning but Mom said when she got to her office at 8am it was already flying around the cage so she couldn't get a photo. The Dainty Sulphurs are almost big enough to be seen with the naked eye, LOL! My Red-Spotted Purples molted today and we were all admiring the larger one's "antlers".

It's been raining every day for like a week straight here and we Floridians are super excited about it. Last weekend I threw out some milkweed seeds and relocated some of my plants so this weather is perfect. In fact, one plant I relocated was the aforementioned salvia "Black and Blue". I had one years ago but I put it in too much shade. Luckily though, it made dozens of seedlings. So I planted them out on the corner in full sun. I have another two that I purchased that are already in full sun and with the firebush behind them and milkweed in front of them, they are in prime territory.

Of my Orange Barred Sulphurs: two are in chrysalis, two in slings, one still eating. And then this Mommy butterfly comes along the other day!

Three of my Checkered Whites have emerged. Here's the first!

Melanie

I saw a butterfly that in size and color looked like a monarch. Couldn't get to it fast enough though to see.

In other news, I had 5 BSTs overwinter in the garage. Yesterday i looked at them and saw that two of the poor devils had tired to emerge at some point. I can see eyes and antennae. too gross! the third is similar. Two others look fine.

Whee! The first of the Polyphemus Moths is hanging inside the cage! I was wondering why none were out and brought the cage in from where I had them. None were stirring, but later I noticed the moth hanging to dry. I'll leave it alone...it's hanging from the lid, so can't get a better look at it until it's had time to dry. We had a little bit of rain today, which is such a blessing during this drought.

What's this? a cat in Mexico.---

http://picasaweb.google.com/jonna.harlan/PlantsToID?feat=directlink#slideshow/5338879582652800098

On the Tropical Gardening forum, under "Beach Plants ID. I don't recognize the pretty vine, either.

Hi, everybody, I've moved into a house, bought it, that was built in 1968 and not much cared for ever since, everything that can leak does, and would you believe there are NO flowers?! Not one ornamental here in the Land of Bougainvillea. I'm fixing that!

Blank slate to play with...how nice.

Only sort of, too much to do!

Yeppers...a clean slate - which always equals to lots of work :o) Don't recognize the caterpillar.

Had a good day at the ranch. Saw several species of butterflies ovipositing. Got to watch a Reakirt's Blue using Sensitive Brier, a Gulf Frit using the native passiflora foetida, a Giant Swallowtail on the citrus trees and a Funereal Duskywing using Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra). Had read that they used it but never noticed - I staked out the plant to see if I can find caterpillars in the coming weeks.

Also saw three Erichson's Skippers. They are uncommon here and usually show up in the fall season - it was a nice surprise to see them this time of year.

~ Cat

Ah...and found a Checkered Skipper caterpillar on the Three Lobe False Mallow.
I left it alone but will check on it periodically.

~ Cat

This message was edited May 24, 2009 8:01 AM

Nice pics, Cat! I've never seen those before. This morning I moved the cage that had the new Polyphemus Moth...and it fell to the bottom of the cage. So I took this pic. And I let it go later...hopefully it'll find a moth to mate with.

Gotta love those huge Polyphemus moths :o)

I was outside today and noticed one of the Forbes Silkmoths emerged - not sure if it is male or female but will check on it later tonight to see if there are other moths flying around the back yard - if so, it's gotta be a female and I'm hoping to have a mating pair to continue the cycle.

However, by the looks of the antenna - am thinking it might be a male - if so, I'll release it tomorrow.

~ Cat

The Passionflower Lady Margaret has been a hot bed of activity...I moved some of them the other day to a different plant and moved these guys today...so there's only about 10-12 left on the one passi...Good thing I'm growing alot of passi's!


still no Zebra Longwings around yet.......it'll get really interesting when they show up !



This message was edited May 24, 2009 7:12 AM

hey mj
i havent had any zebra longwings either i thought i saw one today but i dont see any eggs, i am going to lukas nursery and get a few caterpillars to get them going. if i get some eggs you want me to send you some
debi

debi,
Hey that would be great ! I just love them. I'm wondering if it's just been a little too early yet, but with this last week of rain wasn't seeing much of anything except cat's...worried the hard rains would wash them off the plants. I've got some passi's in pots that I can bring into the screen porch for them if necessary.
I thought I saw a Julia yesterday afternoon, the sun finally came out ! and so did the BF's !
mj