DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 13

Their new home. Plus another egg I foundon some parsley in a different patch.

I am a little iffy on if this cage set up is okay or not. And very unclear on how long they are in the egg stage. I might need you all to hold my hand through this.

Suzy

So, Black Swallowtail eggs are white? The reason I ask, and I have no idea who did this, yet, but I've got a few white eggs scattered here and there on my spent butterfly bush blooms. And, the eggs are white. Certainly Ms. Swallowtail didn't get confused, did she? Has anyone heard of a butterfly bush being a host plant? I've done a little googling on it, but haven't really come up with anything.

Suzy~ What you hav there is a Black ST.. TST use Cherry, Ash, Willow, and Magnolias. The only butterfly that uses Parsley or Fennel is BST. 100%sure.
Lily I found this information at: http://butterflywebsite.com/articles/bgq/buddleia.htm

Oh, Yeah, I forgot :) Well, there were so many things to memorize all at once and I thought parsley was a multi-cat plant ;)

I found htis cool website -- 6 days and my eggs hatch:
http://melanys.tripod.com/black_swallowtail.htm

I have all the hosts for the ETS, and so do most my neighbors, but they are all mature trees, so there will be no looking for eggs without driving myself crazy. I'll just have to assume all is well with the ESTs.

I do have a Sweetbay (Swamp) Magnolia, and it's small enough to monitor, but not so much as a chewed leaf, so I guess the butterflies know where they're going.

Thanks, Deb,
Suzy

oops


This message was edited Aug 13, 2007 7:10 PM

Deb, yes, that helps bunches. Thanks much!! So, it is probably some type of moth that has laid the eggs. Yeah, I'd truly hate to see a butterfly be confused as to what plant to lay her eggs on. :)

I'll definitely keep an eye on this and see what emerges.

Suzy~ Compare your post: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=3852178
to the BF:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/98/
Yours is a lovely Clouded Sulphur

The Orange Sulphur and Clouded Sulphur are very hard to tell apart. They both have an orangish spot on the ventral wing. When the wings are open (or able to see light through the wing), there are yellow spots in the dorsal trim of black on the upper wing.

Then there is the Cloudless that has no black. Sulphurs can be very difficult to tell apart, let me tell ya!

Oh and here the BST eggs hatch in just a few days..as hot as it is.

This message was edited Aug 13, 2007 7:54 PM

here is a treat that I came home today, a Red Spotted Purple....

and one more....

The red spotted purples are so pretty, aren't they?

They are very pretty. I was so excited to see this one in my garden today. And, now that I know their host plant is the pawpaw tree, I know I should see many more of these beauties!

Nice shot, Indiana. What's the purple flower?

In years past, and last year, too, I have had a fair number of red spotted purples and Viceroys, too. This year: nada. I wonder what's going on?

Deb, I see. Cloudless. I just console myself with the fact that this time last year I didn't know a sulphur from a moth.

On my BST eggs, and the 6 day hatch where you said it could take less time because of the heat...are these cages supposed to be outside? I have mine inside and we have air conditioning.

Suzy

Suzy, I hear ya about telling the difference, lol!
I leave them outside, but well protected. Inside a/c will probably delay hatching. (It would in my house bc DH keeps it cold.)
My Sulphurs hatched in 2 days being outside. (BSTs usually 3 days to hatch outside.) There might be a variance in IN, but not a wholelaotta. They should be alright either way, its just that cooler temps does slow them down from what I've seen.

Cloudless Sulphurs hatching yesterday>

A Zebra Longwing came by this morning. I took this pic...not a very good one, but that's as close as I could get before it flew off.

The best shots I get are completely by accident. This skipper was at the USF Botanical garden.

I thought this was a Gulf Frit at first, but it wasn't flying the same and looked too dark of an orange. I'm not sure if this was a monarch or one of its mimics. Instead of flying over the fence, it landed on the fence, moved between the two boards, and then flew out the other side. Oddly enough, I saw a monarch downtown today when I was walking to my car.

This was about the only other good shot I got before it flew off.

This skipper finally paused for a moment so I could get his picture. By the way, found some more Polydamas eggs on the pipevine...

Look who eclosed this morning. 2 more BST's to go and 13 Monarchs.

chris

Great shots everyone!! I had 4 BST (2m, 2f) eclose Monday and today another 3 (2 m, 1 f). One male flew away quickly, but the other had different ideas!

I have to brag, and pout at the same time. Yesterday my DH got a picture of a rare sighting of a Luna Moth north and west of Fort Worth at his job site. I didn't get to see it but it looks beautiful. He said it was as wide as his hand. It is sure ashame that they only survive long enough to mate. They don't have mouth parts from what I have read, so don't eat.

Way cool Linda!! That is encouraging to see the ZLW in TX, WTG!! I'd be flippin' out to see one here, even though they are listed on the map for Tarrant Co. Not seen one here yet.

Mellie you have a Queen Butterfly!!!! How sweet is that? Milkweed as host right along with the Monarchs. Great pics!

I just think thats so awesome that H got the shot of the Luna, Sheila.. Glad to have it posted here, What a beauty!!

:-D

Chris, Nice shot of the butterfly on your hand...was that easy or hard to do?

Sheila, Your dh is a doll for taking that photo for you. Mine sure wouldn't have!

Here is a Monarch cat I found on some Ice Ballet Milkweed today. I *think* he was laid on some regular milkweed, ate all the smaller leaves and wandered over to the Ice Ballet. That's the only thing I can figure out since the leaves on the regular milkweed were there one day, and the next day they were gone.

In any case, he is eating up a storm and in a little ready-cage with milkweed and a stick in oasis. He can hang his J wherever he wants because after reading about how to do it, I'm not moving him!

Can anybody tell me what instar he is, what happens next, and when it happens? LOL!

Suzy

Deb, thanks for the ID. I was thinking Queen but I didn't want to influence anyone's opinions and I didn't get a real good look at the top so I wasn't sure. But now that I've seen one I have to say their color sure is unique. It's a very particular shade. Still don't understand why it didn't fly over the fence instead of passing through it, but I guess I'm not a butterfly. By the way, Dad is building me a butterfly house for my birthday. I'll have to get some pics when it's done. It's gonna be awesome!

Glad to see that ZLW in Texas! I wasn't even sure you got them there but there's the pictures to prove it. Here's a tip - mine LOVE the porterweed. Lantana and bougainvillea are also popular. I love watching the ZLWs fly - they're different from any other bf I think.

Melanie

Whoops, I forgot to post his photo. Too bad it's of his bu††. Ooops.

.. And here he is in his deluxe accommodations. Deb I can't thank you enough for pushing me into having some cages ready!!

Can anybody tell me what instar he is, what happens next, and when it happens? LOL!

Suzy

Oh Yeah ! Chris! That is such a pretty male BST! Well done!

Suzy~ From here on out the Monarch looks the same, just getting bigger as they shed/molt. When they are about 2 inches or so, they will slather some silk on a high horizontal surface, and make a "J" hanging from their tail end. The they will hang a while as pupation occurs. A slimey green hood forms on the bottom of the J and swallows them up, and a skin slips off at the top. This is the most fragile time. Do not move them at all. When the chrysalis has hardened a couple days the chrysalis can be moved out of the cage and tied by the cremaster with strong fine string, or unflavored dental floss. It takes about 8 days from the day they are all closed in to eclose.

I made a separate thread (as promised, Cat), for the Silver Spotted Skipper Phases so it wouldn't get burried in daily butterfly thread.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/760710/

Deb

Thanks Deb, it was very cool. (patting myself on the back :)
Suzy, it was really easy to hold him, I waited about 1 hour for his wings to look real good, then I stuck my finger in front of him and he climbed right on. He walked all the way up my arm before I could put the camera down and take off.
1 more BST eclosed today and 4 monarchs. Sadly one of the monarchs didnt make it. He was my first monarch and he was struggling about 30 min. to get out of the chrysallis. When I saw how fast the other 3 came out after him, I realized that he was probably stuck and then his wings got bigger and had a horrible time getting them out of the chrysallis. The wings never got straight and after a couple of hours he was gone. If I knew 30 min. wasnt normal, I would have tried to help it. I will know for the future. I read somewhere that only 1 out of 100 make it to the butterfly stage, so I guess I am ahead of the game.
At this rate the 1 last BST and the remaining 9 Monarch should eclose tomorrow morning.

chris

Here the ZLW seem to like Turk's Cap, Mexican Sunflower, milkweed and of course, the passies in my yard! We used to get them before the December deep freeze of 2004 (I think that was the year). Then none until this summer. Many of my Monarch cats are in the messy non-stop eating 5th instar stage. Not my favorite instar. A few are clinging to the inside top of the containers...I'm hoping they'll be hanging in a "J" shortly. Found one more yesterday...probably 3rd instar.

Suzy, I put sticks in my cage for my monarch to use, he instead crawled all the way to the top of the cage and did his thing there. He enclosed yesterday after 9 days. Here is a picture of him coming out all wadded up, and one of him ready to go. : )

We thought it was a she....but No, it was a He. : )
(Noticed the 2 black spots on the wings. )
~Lucy

I just looked at my picture again.... doesn't that look like a Queen, and not a Monarch? IO swear I saw a Monarch lay that egg. Hmmmmmm, am I crazy or what? lol
~Lucy

Here is another shot.

Yeah, that seems to be a Queen. Sneaky rascals, disguising themselves to resemble Monarchs to lay eggs. Oh, BTW, I went to a nursery last weekend that was having a half-price sale. I wanted to stock up on really inexpensive milkweed in case more Monarchs lay eggs here. While there I adopted a few cats I found on their pipevine plants (A. fimbriata). The nursery people were happy to let me have them. This one decided to pupate on newspaper that I put underneath the potted pipevine plant in a mesh hamper cage.

LOL! I was just looking and looking at the photo and thinking that Monarchs sure do look different in Florida!

Here's one I'm not sure what it is...Viceroy? It doesn't quite look like a Monarch. He did not like holding his wings open, and he didn't like me too close, so this was the best shot I could make.

Suzy

Linda, are you gonna hang the one on the newspaper up?

Suzy,....don't ask me what that one is. lol : ) It's either a Queen, a Vicerory, or a Monarch. How's that for narrowing it down. LOL : )
~Lucy

Yeah Linda,
When they're ready, they just curl up and morph, lol. That one in your pic closley resembles a polydamas. All of my PVSTs were more all black, even when they changed..The chrysaldis were green or yellowish brown after they hardened. These cats and their mimikry, sheesh! You might be surprised with how many Monarchs you get this year, Good thing your stocking up on MW. This year will probably make up for 2004.

That is such a happy surprise Lucy! You raised them and never noticed the extra set of antennae? They do look jjst like Monarchs, but Queens are a special surprise! Congrats!

Chris! So cool you got a friendly one that wanted to cling on. About 2 and 10 are like that for me. Most of the time they high tail it out of here. Like the female I released yesterday.. She came back today laying eggs on anything she could. Even the parsley I have in pots recouperating from the last brood got egged. Even after I advised her not to. I said, "You know I'm going to have to move those babies girlfriend!"
I could tell for sure it was her, and I know she didn't have far to travel to find a mate. She was very friendly when she came back. Plus she fluttered in circles all around me everywhere I went. They remember their raiser/releasers well it seems.

:-D

Thats definatly a Monarch female.. Compare with Viceroy. (See the extra veins they have running through both upper and lower wing.)

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1788
I think Viceroys are so cool. I know we get them here, bc my DD brought me one that she found on the ground near Grapevine Lake.

She's beautiful Lucy! Nice pic!

:-D

Deb, I didn't even think to look for the extra antennae. I didn't take a picture of that one as a cat, either. But, I do remember the antennae now, as I look back in my minds eye.

The picture above just looked funny to me when I posted it....I kept staring at it, and thought "Oh my Gawd....that's a Queen".

Well,.... on to the next BF. : ) Tomorrow, I think I will have a Cloudless sulpher enclose. (underline the words 'I think',...lol )

~Lucy

I think I saw BST eggs on a dill just before the rain started today when I got home. I bet they were from the pair that couldn't wait to get out of the cage to mate in the pic I posted last night. I guess they were trying to beat the rain today. LOL!

This message was edited Aug 16, 2007 11:05 PM