Daily Pictures #92

super pic Russell

Thanks J. Glad you caught that hairstreak with the wings open - that is so hard to do!

Russell

Beautiful pics. J and Russell. I agreed with Russell, I myself, have never seen the Hairstreaks with open wings. Didn't know there are more beauty to those beauties. lol. I continue to see Sulphurs and an occasional Monarch here and there. Brazillian skippers (I think). Awww, I hope the Brazillian Skippers are done (with their breeding season), for I'm getting ready to cut down my tattered cannas (thanks to them critters -- lol). The truth to be known. I didn't have the heart to cut down the Cannas earlier for I saw that they; the caterpillars were busy-ing rolling the leaves and descimated the plants. Grrrrrrr!!!!

That's good of you, Kim! I'd rather have tattered plants because of cats than the number the aphids did on my milkweed this year!

I'm still seeing a monarch here and there too. Yesterday I saw a monarch, red admiral, question mark and pearl crescent. Not too bad for the middle of october.

Wow, Mrs. Ed. Please help hurrying those Monarchs along. Temp. is going to drop further next week. lol.

Love the picture of the buckeyes jmorth! Wish I had more of them around, too few and far in between.

Still tagging some monarchs. Catzgalore (Stephanie) brought me three chrysalis to the RU today and one emerged. I just happened to have my tagging stuff with me so we tagged the female reared and released! It was her first to raise! Neither one of us thought to bring a camera. The new girl hung out on plant nearby all afternoon and flew away shortly before we left. The other two should emerge in the morning.

Sheila, sounds as if the RU was blessed. How special. I so missed seeing those cats. this year.

I raised a few earlier Lily, but when they eclosed they were not viable. Two couldn't fly and one never got out of the chrysalis. It was sad....had to put them down. They either had OE or had be parasitized I guess.
So it was definately a blessing to see the chrysalis that Catz brought to me. The other two look like they will eclose this morning!

Ooo, best of luck!

From this morning. You will not believe this but it was 45 degrees when I shot this.

This was from the 11th. I think this is the only Painted Lady I have seen all season. I could be wrong though.

I have had 2 monarch in my yard since yesterday afternoon. I guess that's why they call it a Waystation. :)

2 sleepy orange sulfurs eclosed yesterday too. I have one more cat, and she is half the size she needs to be to morph. Sheila - if your addy's in the exchange maybe I'll send you some sulfur chrysalises. :D

A.

I've got two monarchs out there right now. I think this is the latest I have seen them!

Had a White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde) in my yard yesterday. These guys are HUGE (around 3 inches) and so far about the only interesting stray to make it up to north Texas this year. They never sit still long and this one sipped on two types of lantana and a Mexican Flamevine before heading east. The photo here is one I took in 2008.

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

That is a wild looking critter! Thanks for sharing.

Russell

Amanda....Don't send the chrysalis, there are strict rules about mailing those. Neither one of us need to be arested for transporting them! LOL! Thanks for the thought though. I will have some eventually I am sure.

Neat White angled-sulphur Dale!

Love this skipper's silhouette on the EE.

Sheila - I was joking about the chrysalis. ;)

Here is what they look like when they are about to eclose:

Also had 2 yesterday and one Monarch hanging around Waystation #4320 today. :)

Super great picture of the ready to eclose sulphur Amanda. You need to add that one to the bugfile for that species.

I just did. :)

Super fantastic photos on the ready to emerge Sulphurs! Congrats Amanda, what's a wonderful accomplishment. Also serving as models for others. I'm heading over to the bugfiles soon to look for that lovely pic. again. How marvelous nature's handy work. Did anyone notice how the chrysalid mimic Autumn color leaves? Awes making wonder!

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/13602/

That's neat, Lily - hadn't thought of that aspect of mimicry. I think the chrysalis looks like a thorn hanging that way - I haven't seen any on the plant because I took all the larvae in, but I suspect they'd be completely invisible on that Cassia out there.

We're supposed to get more rain tomorrow. That's okay - my rain barrels are empty and need to fill 'em up. Even tho' temps are cooler that sun is still hot. Love love love the garden in October. I think it's nature's way of trying to cheer me.

Had a couple of visitors this evening.

On plumeria.

Taking flight impressionist style...

A nice female Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) on the frostweed (the plant, not Josephine :) ).

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

Lots of Dainty Sulphurs (Nathalis iole) flying around the last few days. This one is nectaring on Zexmenia.

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

I think this is a Question Mark.......

also had a Monarch fly thru yesterday!

Funny Dale!
Nice shots ev1.

Dainty Sulphur is really cool.

I had some catching up to do since I was gone all last week camping. Jmorth that Buck-eye is really a striking butterfly...never see those here that I recall, but I know I've seen them somewhere before. Dale the sulfur is really neat, and what a nice close up shot.
I was camping not too far from here at Wekiwa Springs and there was a bunch of wonderful wildflowers there, and they were just booming with some of the biggest butterflies I've ever seen. I was in HEAVEN standing amongst them in the middle of the field just watching them fluttering all around me.
I'm not sure of the ID of all of them but maybe you can all help me out...so I can post in the BUG files. :)


This one was so beautiful and like I said really big a good four inches, the blue so bright...I had to really zoom in since it wouldn't come real close to me like some of the others. Help with ID?


This message was edited Oct 25, 2011 6:59 AM

A GF on a Florida Paintbrush, they all loved that wildflower the most.

Some sulfurs on the ground...I almost stepped on them...

The underside...lots of these and I didn't bother them at all, some almost landed upon me.

Two together...sorry about the pic quality...had to really zoom in and it was cloudy out...

This sulfur was a bright lime green color, unlike the very yellow ones in my garden...

Really blurry but best shot I got...need help with ID on it????

Like I said they loved the Florida Paintbrush...the reason I could even get half these pictures....