Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: DAILY PICTURES # 111, 4 by Lily_love

Lily_love wrote:
Great pics. as usual Ivy, thank you for sharing all the interesting info. about different types of butterflies.

Ju, like you --I was glad that the pix indeed was the right one that I wanted to share. :)

NAN, nope that ain't mine, the pix was taken at Huntsville Botanical Garden. It was a pleasant visit. DH and I try to at least visit the Botanical Garden at least once a year to enjoy the butterflies.

Big news all; I finally have four or five 5th instars that have spun their silk for their final molt this morning. Yep, as close as I've been watching these fat cats. I totally missed out their last transition from 3rd to 4th instars, now; I've the 5th instars that are transitioning to chrysalis. Dancing with joy. :)


1) ?4th, or 5th instar's resting, spun its silk -- I think -- I would not move this cat during this sensitive phase.
2) pix of couple of the 5th instars that had purged the greenish stuff -- whatchamacallit -- and spun silk and suspend themselves upside down in J-position.
3) Here is a few of my tropical Milkweed in my garden. In this pix there is a seedpod as you can see. I'll try to bag these seedpods, just incase for future use in the garden. I'll make a note that, locally in my garden, the first seedpod is found during Journey South migration this year.
4) Fresh MW provided last evening. This morning they're all eaten, fresh one is needed first thing in the morning hours.
5) How about the eggs? How long will it take before the cat will eat its way out of the shell? It's said that it will take 5 days? Um, I really have lost count, and missed out on this round. Those that I collected and brought indoor? I just found a first instar crawling around. :)

Happy butterflies gardening everyone.