Continued from: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/986352/
One of the releasees from last week. She stayed for a while before flying off. The verbena was too hard to pass up.
DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 62
Deb and Sherry - thanks for the moth info.
On a good note - this morning before work I found three other moths (males no doubt!) clinging to the walls and woodwork of my back porch. I was able to easily pick them up with my fingers and move them all into the cage with the female.
Am I contributing to the deflowering of a virgin?! :o)
Got home about 830pm and checked the cage but none of the moths have mated with the female. Least I think not, as when they do - they stay together for about 24 hours.
Perhaps tonight will be the magical night.
~ Cat
Yeah I bet something happens tonight Cat! Way cool!
And *ahem* deflowering? LOLMBO
Yeah Sherry mine never mated in their cages either, they want out more than they want to mate I guess. Or maybe they don't like being watched so much. We often walk up on them already coupled together though.
Reposting this one that I accidentally posted in previous thread:
Was out back having a look around and spotted a couple Monarch cats... Then figured there had to be more, so I kept looking and turning over leaves on the MW.. found another, then another, and as it got darker thought I better look again as they tend to come up out of the depths to feed as night approaches. In all I found 12!!! Most all in their 3rd instar, and one in 2nd. Now we're talking!
Found a total of 8 BSTs... 2 are in their eggs, ;-). 4 on fennel and 4 on parsley, so I caged separately.
I call that a good day!
Oh, and Cat I remember one site where they put the female in a bird cage and left her outside... The male did find her. Had no problem coupling through the gaps in the wires.
Cat~ I Found the pic, but couldn't open it to full size like I did before a couple weeks ago.. It's the 3rd pic over from left.
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS321US322&q=mating%20cecropia%20moths&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
This message was edited Jun 1, 2009 9:51 PM
This message was edited Jun 1, 2009 9:52 PM
Cat, I had some promethea moths that mated last year, and they only stayed coupled for about ?4 or 5 hours, so yours could possibly have mated already. Usually, of course, moths stay together longer.
You really did have a good day, Deb! Monarchs and black swallowtails, too!
I released my last red admiral and sleepy orange today. The gulf frits have hatched and are eating the tender new growth P. incarnata leaves I gave them. I also found two more giant swallowtail hatchlings - there are still eggs out there.
Two of the sweetbay moth cats have finally made their cocoons - they just crawled on a leaf and made the cocoon very quickly. They are a pretty white color, not at all like the golden color of their Mom's cocoon - I guess the cocoons age to golden. The other cats should be doing the same soon.
I keep finding young spicebush swallowtail cats, so I keep bringing them in to raise - the only palamedes cat I've got left has finished one big bunch of redbay leaves and is now eating another bunch.
Sherry
YIPPEE!!! Just look at this photo. I went outside about an hour ago to check the cage and found more males flitting around it. I caught them all and put them inside. Got a mating really quick too!
Just as I was coming back inside to download the photos I saw another two males in the yard. They are still batting their wings against the cage trying to get in - you snooze you lose!!!
There are seven males in the cage - the elongated oval is the mated pair. Everytime I look outside my patio door I can see males flitting around the yard. :o)
~ Cat
Okay...I decided to give the couple some privacy. I removed the other males. Hopefully they will get the hint and go look for another female.
Two of the males were at the bottom of the cage - not sure if they were just exhausted or perhaps dying. They don't live long so perhaps they were at the end of their lives? I tried to get them to cling to one of the trees but they kept falling down to the ground. I ended up putting them in baggies and put them into the freezer. Best they sleep with the frozen fishes than the ants on the ground looking for a picnic.
Here's the happy couple :o)
~ Cat
ps...the way I keep posting you'd think I didn't have to get up to go to work in the morning! Wish this had all happened last week when I was on vacation...but nooooooooooo, it had to happen my first day back to work. I even worked until 8pm to catch up with all the paperwork that had gathered while I was out!!! On a good note - I was able to catch up with most of it...which is a good thing because I have to travel out of town again at the end of the week for work. Do hope the female lays plenty of eggs before I leave so I can release her to finish laying eggs in the wild.
This message was edited Jun 1, 2009 11:15 PM
Wow Cat! You had an exciting night, lol! Those pheromones are something powerful aren't they? Carry on Forbes!
Sherry~ You are getting quite a variety over there in MS. I sure hope they spread out this way. I've been waiting for SBSt to show up.
No shortage of Frits here.. :-). And I went out this morning to find 3 more Monarch cats, making a total of 15 now. Its pouring rain now, so I will go out when it stops and make another pass through the yard.
Congrats on the mating, Cat! What beautiful moths they are!
Sounds like you're planning on raising some yourself?
My group of sweetbay silkmoths came from a little group of eggs that the female left me on the bar of the cage before she flew off - big moths eat too much for too long for me to raise too many at one time.
Some people say to put your female in a paper bag to get her to lay some eggs for you, but it hasn't been necessary for me - they like cage bars!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y89/PucPuggy/SweetbayMothEggs.jpg
Sherry
I'm so jealous, you all have so much activity. Up north still a bit slow. I saw but could not photograph two monarchs and a mourning cloak at a nature center the other day. Not much blooming in the grasslands, but soon the coneflowers will be out. I expect that the action will pick up at home too when those bloom.
Soon enough Mrs Ed, you will be out in your garden and discover a brood of cats... Maybe Monarchs from the looks of things here, lol. I will send them your way when they come out.
;-)
Well thanks Debnes! I planted some more milkweed (though tiny now) but my first butterfly weed is about ready to pop!
Funny photo Sherry!!!
At least the eggs will be easy to remove from the plastic. I always keep the female in one of the reptariums and put in a another ash sapling when she's done mating and I release the male.
I also hang large strips of brown paper on three of the sides and sometimes just toss in or crumple up or coil large pieces of the brown paper (as opposed to using paper towels which are white and well, it's hard to find a white egg on a white paper towel!). The females I've had are pretty good at laying eggs on the leaves of the potted larval host saplings and the brown paper - but they also lay eggs on the mesh if they happen to get between that and the brown paper. Am able to cut around the eggs on the paper and tie that piece of paper onto the larval host plant. It's a bit harder to remove the eggs from the mesh - more so when they are squeezed into the mesh holes - but over the years I've learned to push one of the plants right up next to the eggs so the hatchlings will climb onto the leaves. Must be careful though - last October I had the teeny instars crawling out through the mesh!! Have learned to move those caterpillar-laden leaves into a plastic container until they are big enough not to fit through the mesh :o)
I've read about the paper bag method and know a few moth-men that use that method - but I just don't like the thought of having a female bagged up! At least in the reptarium she gets to pick and choose the leaves and gets a bit of fresh air.
Oh...and the happy couple are still at - it's been about 20 hours. I don't think I could handle being a moth! Heh! Heh!
The caterpillars are voracious eaters as they get bigger and bigger but the neighbors both have huge ash trees that I trim and prune to keep the cats happy. I raised a bunch last year and it was a chore but am still going to raise as many as I can so I can release them at the ranch. I've found cocoons on the native colima bushes but never have been able to find caterpillars. The more moths out there the merrier!!!
Also, already have a moth-man lined up who wants to raise these. We missed hooking up last October when he was down in these parts and I had eggs but I did ship a dozen or so cocoons a few months back. They have been emerging for him too but days apart and for some strange quirk of luck they were males and one female that did eclose wasn't able to attract a mate.
~ Cat
ps...oops... Great photo Deb!!! I like that bird cage mating photo!!!
~ Cat
That's a good idea, Cat, putting host plant material in with the female.
I don't know why I didn't think of that! I'll definitely do that with my next female silkmoth, and I'll also crumble up some brown paper.
In the past, I've put host material in water picks, and attached the water picks so that the plant material was next to, maybe touching, the eggs.
But your way is definitely better!
I released one red-spotted purple today.
Sherry
Sherry - the mating moths are clinging to the leaves of one of the potted larval host plants in my photos. When the female emerged I put the her and the cocoon/twig she was clinging to (can be seen stuck into the pot in the multi-male photo) and the potted larval host plant into a separate reptarium. When she was ready she flew around the cage and latched onto the upper branches of the plant to 'call' to a male.
I've learned that wrinkling/crumpling the brown paper helps her feet cling better and putting big sections of it inside the cage also gives her something to crawl up onto if she starts wandering around on the floor of the cage.
They are still together - it's been officially 24 hours now. Give it a break already!!! All I have to say is she better lay several hundred eggs!!!
~ Cat
Someone mentioned VFs before. Well, when going up the back driveway, I spotted a cat on the Rock Flax. Actually, on the one bare stem left from a flax. They are wispy little plants, with hardly any foliage, so I never could see how a single plant would even get a cat started off good, but the VF like them...that and Maypop. So I took some of another flax and some Maypop and put the cat in a container. It's probably about half-grown. I'll look for more, since I found this one.
Wow Good eye Linda!
It's seeing close up that is a challenge for me, LOL! Great that you found that one. They've been scarce here for the past couple years. ;-.
Goodness Graceous Cat!! Sure you will have at least 200, maybe more like 500 eggs. (Which is fairly normal, from what I've read.)
On another note, I actually found some seeds for Golden Eye at Lowe's. It was in the Ferry Morse Display of seeds. It's used by Bordered Patch, but it is a TX native and a very pretty little flower. It's a good idea to snap up seeds now while they are selling them, because they never have them at the optimum planting time for this area. I am saving these until next spring.
Well, two of my sweetbay moths have made their cocoon, and now two more are making theirs. According to what I've read, they have multiple broods each year, so these should emerge this year, not overwinter.
My last palamedes cat empties its bowels, so I put it in the big release cage to run around and pupate.
I released another red-spotted purple today - only one more chrysalis left.
Debnes - I'm so jealous of you Texans for your bordered patches :) - they're gorgeous!!
Sherry
I went back up there to look for more cats, but didn't find any. But I did see a VF butterfly!
Linda...hopefully you'll find VF eggs left behind by your visiting VF.
Sherry...what are you jealous about? Ya'll get those Sweetbay moths, Palamedes and other big swallowtails and of course those RSPs!!! Will gladly send you some Bordered Patches :o) Those buggers lay clusters of eggs - my word - I made the mistake of clipping a sunflower leaf that had about 200 eggs on it - I had caterpillars and frass coming out of my ears!!! They all started to pupate at the same time which was good but then they also all eclosed within seconds to minutes of each other. Whoa! That was an experience!
Dratted Forbes female has laid only about 70 eggs. We are being hit by a thunderstorm so not sure if the drop in weather or barometric pressure is affecting her. I do hope she lays more!!!
Gotta head out of town at 4am so won't be back until the weekend to check on her progress. I wanted to release her after two days so she could continue to lay eggs around the neighborhood trees but she might be too exhausted to fly when I get back. Oh well, will have to wait and see.
~ Cat
Cat's right Sherry~ You guys get some we can only listen to you and read about. ;-)
Now I was serious, the BPs. I would love for you to try and send me one of the "clusters" you find. I have plenty of sunflowers here to feed them. I'll pay whatever the postage and handling it takes girl!
I didn't realize I'd been reading along and not posting so much. Time to catch up then! My Orange-Barred Sulphurs have been emerging. Here are two I let go last weekend - the boy is on the left and the girl on the right.
The Hairstreaks are still hanging out. Saw one tonight, too. This one is on Spanish Needles but tonight it was feasting on agastache. It was funny to watch it go from top to bottom on one bloom and then repeat with the adjacent ones. Gotta get all that nectar!
Speaking of plants...I'm so in love with Veronica spicata "Sunny Border Blue". I get those giant bumblebees on it that are so heavy they bend the flower stalk over. It's too cute. Well, this weekend at Lowe's they had a variety called "Red Fox" which is actually more rose-pink and they only had one left which I bought. Can't say enough good things about veronica. It takes the heat, it was the first thing to bloom this spring (and we had a few hard freezes here), I'd say it's drought resistant, and the bugs love it!
I've been moving my pipevine plants around the yard to try and entice some Pipevine STs while keeping the Polydamas from going insane and laying millions of eggs on it. I saw a Pipevine ST (see blurry photo below) this past weekend by the front plumbagos so I moved the pipevine near it. No eggs yet. Sigh.
While I was working on the front flower beds this weekend I had this Phaeon Crescent show up. It hung out on the wall next to my front door for over an hour. Maybe it just wanted a little shade, too?
My Palamedes ST was parasitized and so was one of my Zebra STs. Mom had to take care of the Zebra one. Fortunately, this Zebra ST came out a few days later. I had another come out this evening, too. I wonder what they were waiting for? I had one Zebra ST for thirteen months - no kidding! So as long as the chrysalis doesn't smell funny or turn weird colors, it may still have a chance.
Look at him preparing for flight, LOL!
My Dainty Sulphurs made their dainty little chrysalises. Can't wait until they come out!
So I took my Red-Spotted Purples to work yesterday not so much because I thought the one would emerge; it was more that the other caterpillar was acting weird. Well, lo and behold the one emerged while I was at work! I feel bad because Mom's in training all week in Raleigh, NC and she missed it. I told her I still had the other cat but then this evening I came home and he was dead. It looked like he tried to molt and something went very, very wrong.
My co-workers always like my butterflies but one of my accounting clerks was really into the RSP. I told her how I don't get to see them too often here and how I had first seen one on vacation in KY. I'm going to have to go find some more cats so Mom can enjoy them. At least I found them in a park close to my house; I'll try to stop after work tomorrow and search for more (if it's not raining).
Oh, and why didn't anyone of you tell me the RSP cats look like they've been dusted with blue glitter in their final instar? Even their antlers get all shiny looking. It's so amazing how superficially they look like poo, but you get up close and they look like they were powdered in fairy dust. Definitely one of my fave caterpillars.
(Yeah, that's my computer at work in the background.)
And now - drum roll please - Melanie caught a picture of the hummingbird! Darn thing has been mocking me for days! I see it nearly every morning when I leave for work and often when I come home in the evening. When I was planting this weekend I got to stare at it for a good 15-20 seconds and really got to see the red on its throat. We had hummingbirds last year and as soon as the porterweed (pictured) started blooming this spring they showed up again. They seem to be hanging out in the oak tree on the west side of the house whereas last year they preferred the east side oak tree. I just really wanted to snap a picture so everyone would know I really do have a hummingbird.
By the way, if you haven't done so, google a hummingbird call and get to know what they sound like. They're really distinct and it helps to know when one is near (so you can get that camera ready). I'm just glad I didn't have to resort to wrapping myself in a red blanket and dousing myself in sugar water.
Back to my cocoon,
Melanie
That's a great picture of a hummer, Melanie! I find them almost impossible to photograph, and on the rare occasions I do actually get a picture, it's blurry! And I love that porterweed - I've got coral and blue, and the little butterflies, like sleepy oranges and long-tailed skippers, especially love it.
I enjoyed reading about your butterflies and cats! For the past 4 or 5 years, I've raised hundreds and hundreds of pipevine swallowtails, but this year, the females all emerged in late winter, then the males emerged in spring, and I guess they didn't get together, because I've gotten no eggs this year. But today, I saw a gorgeous male when he briefly nectared on a butterfly bush in my garden. I would have preferred an egg-laying female, but it was a thrill to get to see that beautiful turquoise iridescence again. He flew off before I could get a picture - hopefully, he'll bring his girlfriend back next time! I've got miles of pipevines, mostly A. tomentosa, but some A. macrophylla, so I could sure raise some!
I released my last red-spotted purple today. I don't know if my picture is of the one I released this morning or another one - I've released six lately - but like most RSPs, this one loved nectaring on the wet ground - it rained - and stepping stones.
By the way, my daughter lives in North Tampa or New Tampa, whatever you call it - it's not far from Lutz.
Sherry
The first visitor to our little balcony garden this year.
A male Cecropia , I believe?
Hmm....looks like a male Polyphemus Moth to me!
Thank you... I never get that one right!
He's a gorgeous polyphemus moth!
After releasing the last of my red admirals the other day, I found tiny hatchlings on some of my false nettles - YAY!! I brought nine of them in to raise late this evening - I'll look for more tomorrow.
Sherry
Sherry,
Way cool! I've not raised RAs yet. Keep hoping they'll make use of the false nettles but I guess I need a bigger patch of that - I only have one plant :o) Got lots of pellitory growing wild but haven't noticed any eggs or cats on those either.
Mel & Sherry - and I can only sighhhhh at the beauty of those RSPs and Zebras ya'll keep showing off :o)
Mel - also noticed the hairstreaks are starting to show up around here...mainly grays but one little Clytie - those are always sooooo cute!
VA - awesome Polyphemus - those are huge!
~ Cat
That's a fantastic picture of a darling little ministreak, Cat! Hairstreaks are hard to photograph - they usually won't stay on a leaf long enough for me to get a picture.
Sherry
Yippee! A first for the ranch. I spotted an unusual dark skipper at the ranch yesterday but was unable to get a photograph of it. Since I'd spent the night out there I drove around again on Sunday morning and spotted two of them in the same area. Was able to identify them as the Common Streaky-Skipper (Celotes nessus). Funny thing is that it isn't common for us :o)
A striking little butterfly indeed!
~ Cat
What a pretty and different looking skipper! Down in southernmost Texas, you sure get some interesting and beautiful butterflies, Cat! They could've fooled me when they called it "common"!
My last American lady emerged today, and I found another giant swallowtail cat, bringing the total to five.
I got a picture of a little common checkered skipper the other day.
Sherry
