Daily pic. #88

It's time for a new thread. We've a slow year with butterflies nationwide it seems. So any sighting, anywhere anytime is appreciated here. Also, discussion about identifying, enjoying, providing habitat for our little friends in the garden is welcomed and encouraged. Currently, Sheila and I are trying to differentiate the gender of TigerSwallowtail butterflies.

Here is a 'Fiery Skipper' that was identified by fellow DGer.

We came from here; http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1191780/

Lily_love, you're Tiger Swallowtail (on the previous thread) is a female. Note the extensive blue on the hindwing. Males don't have that; females do.

Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=8688672

Just clarify which is which, Dale thank you. Did you mean this one is a female Tiger Swallowtail then?

Yes, that's a female.

Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com

okay, I've a female TST! I'm going to file that on my folder. Sheila, are you with me on this one?

Dale is our resident butterfly specialist. If Dale doesn't know, no body knows! :-)

Ditto to that Crit. :))

I came across a picture of a butterfly from the end of May that I saw..I'd forgotten about this picture.. hopefully I haven't shown it before :)

And of course, I don't know what it is.. so would love to get some help with that. (No, I haven't gotten a book yet..lol)

lol..I just had an image of my 20 month old DGD Kailey.. and she's asking "what's dat? what's dat?" That's what I feel like I do on here.. I point to a BF and ask "what's dat"?

^_^

Well I've got some to share from some days ago…

First off is an American Copper. Had to get on my knees with my bum in the air for this one!

Oh, Chris, I forgot. I think that might be a pipevine swallowtail.

Next up is a black swallowtail.

And for you Kim, here's my first eastern tailed-blue of the year.

Next up are two unidentified skippers. They may be the same species. I'm not sure what they are, I'm thinking maybe Black Dash.

And the second one.

The above were all from my route last weekend. It's been really quiet at home though. I saw a couple of cabbage whites.


Edited: I just had a confirmation from the monitoring network, the skippers are indeed Black Dash. The first is a male, the second is a female.

This message was edited Jul 13, 2011 8:30 PM

Saw either an Silvery Checkerspot or a Pearl Cresent yesterday flit by while out in the yard. First one of those I have seen this summer!

Nice pics you all!

The same female Tigerswallowtail revisited the butterfly bush. Christine, your DGD is the prettiest 'butterfly' I've seen in a while. lol Marna, thank you for the pretty ETB! Just as pretty as I'm. lol. Nan, congrat on the 'first' sighting on those, more to come soon I hope.

Butterflies are definitely far less available in my garden this year also. In the last two weeks, I have seen a slight increase but nowhere near the populations of previous years. I'll post a few of this year's visitors and then I'll just look at your pictures for awhile. Hope your attendance picks up.

Bob

Tiger Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail egg on Bronze Fennel.

Variegated Fritillary

Peck's Skipper

Black Swallowtail

Horace's Duskywing

Summer Azure

Lovely, detailed and sharp images of your butterflies, even the BST's egg on the Fennel, Bob. J. Who is that fella with red eyes partially hidden beside the Summer Azure? lol

Okay folks. So The BST has white strips, double row on its body. Where as the Pipevine Swallowtails don't. Am I correct?

four hatched today, this was the last. eggs and cats are still scarce--4 of us searched last night for about 45 minutes and came up w/ 2 eggs and 2 small acts

Congrats, BCH. Do tell, did you make the butterfly cage yourself? I want one just like it. Sounds as if you're making a family affair out of raising cats. What's a loving thing to do together. My hat is off to you.

Yes, we make it a family activity--i think i have made about 7-8 of these so far and given them to friends and family. My wife is a therapist and one is at the hospital where she works. helps a lot of people to help raise and release them

Monarch loving my Zinnia

Blue Azure? on Shasta Daisy Becky

newly released male monarch on hawthorne tree

oh man ......love that cage!! Wish I or my DH was handy! lol

hey, maybe you can order one from BCH! ha.

BCH, are you raising these just for fun, or is this for a nature center. I thought I saw a picture that indicated you might be a center.

So quiet here. One Question Mark and some cabbage whites.

Nice Lily!! Also thanks for the new thread!

Thanks for keeping us straight Dale, not that you won't have to step in when we get it wrong again!
;-)) So the dark form I saw in this link was female, or are all of the dark forms female? http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=8688463


Then this one is a male TST...just for refrence...2010 pic.

We do raise some butterflies early in the season for our local botanical garden--they have a native butterfly house that is open to the public, but we just do it for fun.

Bob, what camera are you using? The detail on your photos is incredible

BCH521, I use the Canon 40D with the Canon 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens almost exclusively.

Thanks for your kind words.

Bob

That's great on both accounts BCH!

1st Buckeye for this summer

Monarch yesterday

Very few Tiger Swallowtails this year. I hope there will be more.