Daily Pictures #93

Here they come Mrs. Ed. Yippieeeeeee!

I've a pair of Sulphurs in the garden this morning. Oh just saw the Black Swallowtail again....I'll see if I can catch it today.

Wooohooo, not what I was hoping, but this beauty will do. A Yellow Tiger Swallowtail on my viburnum blossom;

Wooo Hooo. Glad things are heating up for you both.

Keep them coming!

Russell

It's going to be 80 here today! Maybe i'll see something.

Hey Hey! I saw something. LOL. Not sure what is was. Probably Mourning Cloak. I was doing the dishes and saw it fly across the street. So I've got some bananas and grapes outside. Looks like the squirrels like the grapes more than anything on the bananas though. Ha.

Hah, just to be sure I did see something, and just not my imagination. lol Mrs. Ed. I trust you on this one. Wanna see mine 'something'? I knew I've seen this for several days now, and just now I've captured it. But as it turned out -- blurry! Gotta be the excitement that shows? LOL, for the next pic. I shot it was as good as gold. Look!

More butterflies!!! Saw my first Silver spotted skipper this evening. Yooohoooo!!!!

Cherry blossom and this beauty!

We had a Mourning Cloak out here several months ago. It was big news because the "northern" butterflies don't show up this far south. I got to see it - might be a yard bug for y'all but it was a lifer for me!

Well so glad that everyone is seeing BFs...My Gulf Frits finally emerged from their Chrysalis and I see them flying around the garden daily now. I found some more milkweed at a garden center and brought it home for my Monarch cats. Only to find two more larvae on the milkweed and several eggs. I counted ten cats yesterday of all sizes chomping away.

I've spotted a few yellow sulphurs, black tiger swallowtails, yellow swallowtails and of course the Gulf Frits and Monarchs, and long tailed skippers.

I see my FL paintbrush sprouting up also...the squirrels got into one of my seed packs and think they did that one in. I put some in the ground out front in my sandy sunny soil. I was told this weekend by a FL native plant society person that it sometimes takes two seasons until seeds germinate and come up. I've got to be careful and not think they are weeds.

Sorry no pictures yet...I'll have to work on that.

Enjoy the butterflies everyone...I think spring is finally here.

Congrats ~Cat. on your sighting of the Mourning Cloak--the 'Lifer'. Sherri, it's nice to know you and Amanda have Fla. paintbrush sprouting. Looking forward to more photos during the growing season.

My Silver Spotted Skipper is loving the V. carlcephalum blooms.

Ooops, I meant to post this one;

Hi everyone! I've been over on Facebook a lot but I realized I needed to stop neglecting DG! I had an exciting day today. I've been stuck inside a lot (fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue) but I was feeling good today so I went for a stroll around the yard. I'm glad I did as I found the first Queen caterpillar ever in my yard. I stole one from a nearby park once but this is the first one that picked my yard. I only found one; there were three Monarchs on the same plant so it's amazing I ever got a Queen to lay an egg.

I also found a Giant Swallowtail on my rue. I just checked it a few days ago, but these things happen. I'll check it again because there's never just one.

And finally, I saw this chrysalis on the side of the house as I was walking in. If you saw how far it was from the milkweed you'd think the caterpillar ran a marathon!

In bad news, the Tussock Moth caterpillars are back which means I need to go around squishing them. I saw quite a few on my passiflora which is NOT OK. In better news, I've been seeing Monarchs, Cloudless Sulphurs, Orange-Barred Sulphurs, Long Tailed Skippers, and Gulf Fritillaries. The parents have reported a Giant Swallowtail and Spicebush Swallowtails. I'm going to have to go Spicebush hunting in my neighbor's yard soon.

Melanie

How exciting that you get to see all those cats. Melanie. It's nice having you back. I overwintered this beauty in a butterfly housing in the back porch. It emerged this am.

welcome back Mel! I got more reports from the area of Cabbage white and spring azures, but i haven't seen any yet.

Hey, has anyone ever found an overwintering chrysalis in their leaf litter? I've been doing spring cleanup and I don't know how far away from host plants to look for these guys.

My aunt in WV reported "lots of little blue butterflies" which, based on last year's visit, are probably Spring Azures. I'll be visiting Grandma up there in a few weeks so I hope to see some new butterflies and as always, their large population of Tiger Swallowtails.

I've never really looked in the leaf litter but I know the Hairstreaks use the oaks in my yard. In fact, the Hairstreaks lay eggs in the leaf litter. It's amazing how far some of these caterpillars travel - like the one on the side of my house. I had a Monarch crawl straight up my oak tree once and hang from a bromeliad. I thought that was cool.

Melanie

I know that the regal frittalaries lay eggs inseptember next to the host plants, but I don't know about those with chrysalis.

No pictures today because dummy me forgot her camera while going to pick rue. Naturally, I saw two Giant STs doing the mating dance. They were also seen nectaring on milkweed and my Dad's "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow" which is in full bloom right now. The Monarch and the Cassius Blues have been doing fly-bys, as well. I went looking for more Queen cats but all I found was an army of Monarchs. I brought a couple of the bigger ones in so they can pupate soon.

In sad news, my Red Bay tree up and died on me for no apparent reason. Whenever we get back from vacation next month I'm going to order some spicebushes and make a little hedge along the neighbor's fence instead. I also need to order a Sweetbay magnolia so I can raise some Tiger STs. I've had them (and Red Spotted Purples) on my cherry tree before but my cherry tree has gotten so tall I can't pick the cats unless they're really low to the ground - which rarely happens.

Melanie

Best of luck with your butterflies gardening project there Melanie. I've a couple 'Tigers visit today. Got the dark form one, and missed on the Yellow 'Tiger.

1st BF pics for me this year, a Spring Azure and a Cabbage White. The former from 3-18-12, the later, 3-19.

Seeing lots of Cabbages Whites, Spring Azures and saw a sulphur of some sort yesterday!

On two occasions I thought I spotted a lone Monarch passing through the garden. But I questioned myself could that be Viceroys? Since I wasn't sure and didn't have a picture to inspect it closely. So I'll wait until I have enough evidences that I've gotten a Monarch to report for sure. DH thought he saw some Monarch on the mountains also. Hmmmm.

Just got back from Home Depot where I saw a Monarch laying eggs on the milkweed, a Red Admiral, a Painted Lady, and three skippers (probably Fiery). Naturally, I didn't have my camera. The butterflies seemed most interested in the pentas and the purple lantana. I was really excited to see the RA and PL since they can be very seasonal here and I can go a long time without seeing one. It makes me wonder what kind of butterfly year this one is going to be, especially with the wacky weather.

Melanie

I posted on the other thread - my first BST eclosed around 10 this morning and took off just about a half hour ago. :)

Queen eating out of my hand, LOL!

Congrats on the BST! Is that early or normal for them eclosing in your area?

Congrats Amanda. Mel, I don't think I've ever gotten Queens around where I live. Only Monarchs. That cat. is way too cute eating out of your hand. And I like that 3rd pair of antenae. lol

This is my first Queen here at the house. I don't even think I've seen an adult in my yard. One time I thought I did, but it was a Viceroy (they mimic the Queen color in areas with substantial Queen populations).

I was just out gathering food to feed the piggies (Monarchs) and saw a male Tiger ST on the "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow". The Gulf Frit was also laying eggs on my passionvine. I have p. caerulea but it's got Tussock Moths on it so the Frits are going for my pretty, hybrid passifloras, darnit! I've instituted a relocation program in the past, and I may begin again. I'd like to see them bloom once before they get eaten to pieces. I think the kind I have is "Lavender Lady". I was on vacation last year when it bloomed but my parents told me how pretty it was. I'm hoping to get some Zebra Longwings this year - the two winters prior to this one were brutal and I haven't seen a ZL in over a year. Hopefully, the warm temps will guide them northward.

Melanie

Painted Lady visiting after work today....nice to see them around!

Russell

Ok, for the third time let me try to post a message without DG throwing me to the forums page. Here's a pic of the swarm of Monarchs I've adopted.

Here's the male half of the couple I suspect is plaguing me with caterpillars.

And finally, a Gulf Frit on the pentas. I also had a Swallowtail fly by and I swear I think it was a Palamedes. I don't see them often except in early spring and then again in the fall. I'll have to go through my neighbor's yard looking for cats soon. His back acreage is always a good source of Spicebushies, too.

mellie, same problem I experienced, I finally just gave up...Nice pics.

good grief, that a lot of cats!!!!

I was doing errands today and saw a red admiral! This is the most amazing spring!

First Buckeye of the year!

I had a few returning Monarchs this last few weeks. Also have sulphers and Red Admirals. This afternoon I watched a Gulf Frit laying eggs with madding speed!

Congrats everyone on some of your first Butterflies of the season. I've problem with DG throwing my posting off and sent me back to the forums page too. It's frustrating when you made a long post, then get throw off the post.

Love those buckeyes! I haven't seen any yet, still waiting.

Russell

I had a BST that overwintered last year, just eclosed today.