DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 24

Happy Birthday to you Becky!!!!

I think they are Polydamas, saw Momma laying some more eggs yesterday! Tried to get some pics, but she was so darn fast, all I got were blurs.
I bought this pipevine back in June, it had several chrysalises (sp) on it and one butterfly pumping up its wings. One actually hatched in the car on the way home! I was so proud when it flew off in the afternoon! How's that for taking all the credit!
Cathy

Went out to the NABA IBP (North American Butterfly Association International Butterfly Park) today. Got to see and photograph several good butterflies.

This one is a new butterfly for me. An Eight-Spotted Longtail Skipper (Polythrix octomaculata)...missing part of its tail. A non-descript butterfly that sort of blends in with all the others...but quite rare for us. Glad I was able to get several good shots. It was most cooperative.

~ Cat


This message was edited Nov 18, 2007 6:43 PM

...and another rare butterfly...a Common Banner (Epiphile adrasta). Never could get a ventral view though. Still can't under why they call it a "Common" Banner when it's quite a rarity for us.

It was at a bait station feeding on a banana.

~ Cat

This message was edited Nov 18, 2007 6:34 PM

Finding this very common butterfly at bait is another first for me. Gulf Fritillaries are always abundant but I'd never seen one at bait before!!! This one must have had a hankering for tangerine juice :o)

Was able to get a nice shot of it sharing a meal with a Malachite.

~ Cat

Here's another shot of just the Gulf Fritillary actually feeding on a tangerine!!!

~ Cat

Ah...and also saw a Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina). These are also strays to south Texas. A bit non-descript as well...but a nice find.

~ Cat

Pford-1854

Your little hairstreak, wings open, is a female Gray Hairstreak. The male will have an orange abdomen. It is the only hairsteak that will regularly keep its wings open.

Your unknown white is a Checkered White, male.

Becky, your photo at the top of this string is a female Orange-barred Sulphur. I will try to post a picture of one with wings open.

For you lovers of the very small butterflies, attached is a photo taken in Roswell, NM, this past September. Wing costa is 3/8th inch. Recognized as the smallest butterfly in N. America and considered unofficially as the smallest butterfly in the world. This is the Western Pygmy Blue.

Rod

Rod, thanks for posting the wee one. It is a sweetheart, complete with heart all in a row! LOL!

Here is the female Orange-Barred Sulphur with wings open. Also have photos of mating pair, if anyone wants it posted. Also, the Western Pygmy Blue with wings open. And, the Checkered White mating. You guys probably think I have a butterfly porno lab here in Houston. Not! Just keep my camera handy as much as possible.

First time shots this past week of the Dorantes Longtail (Skipper).
Both ventral and dorsal. Hard to get the dorsal shot as it seems to be embarrased to show such a plain brown back. Nothing like the beautiful emerald green of the standard Longtail Skipper.

My Japanese plums (Loquats) are blooming now and they are attracting butterflies.

Earlier comment - can't remember the sender - that the Senna needs to be in bloom to attract the Sulphurs. Not so. I have potted Sennas about 18" tall, no blooms, that are covered with eggs. Orange-barred Sulphurs have had no trouble finding these plants but pests are keeping the egg population low. Now, I also have a larger Senna in bloom in the front yard, which may be attracting them to this location, but the plants in the nursery area are getting full attention. Monarchs are still here and laying eggs daily. They are eating up my Spring stock of milkweed.

Rod

Rod - Nice photo! You are right about the butterflies finding the Cassia even if they don't bloom. I have the Cassia bushes in my yard since last Spring and it seems that when they bloomed the Sulphur butterflies came from everywhere! They didn't seem to notice my bushes before they bloomed. Though I know that they do eat the leaves at other times of the season. I also noticed a bloom scent from the flowers. Have you ever noticed that?

Sheila, the first time I photographed the W. Pygmy Blue I didn't see the row of hearts until I viewed the shot on my edit screen. What a special little butterfly. Very difficult to find until you see the first one, then they seem to be every where.

Rod

Becky, I have not noticed the scent. Will check it out in the morning. We have so many other plants that are fragrant that I didn't think to smell of the Senna.

Rod

Yahhhhh...those Western Pygmy Blues are tiny!!! They are fairly abundant at the Edinburg World Birding Center's butterfly gardens - where they can be found on nectaring on frogfruit.

Here's a dorsal view.

~ Cat

Cat, you always get great pictures. I just love that Malachite butterfly. Such a pretty green. : )

I have had Sulphurs laying eggs on my sennas all summer, no blooms at all. Today I saw one of the Orange-Barred Sulphurs laying eggs. She sure was pretty with her winter colors.
~Lucy

Great pics everyone.

Rod - thanks for IDing my white. I did not know that the males were less spotted, and so I couldn't ID it.
Now I've added my pic to it's bug page.

Thanks for sharing your great pics.

Pford

WOW Rod!!! Great dorsal shot of that Orange-Barred Sulphur!!!

Okay Lucy...am convinced...I need to start growing a Senna or two!!!

SVP -- awesome Polydamas cats!!! I keep waiting for one of those butterflies to make use of my aristolochia elegans or aristolochia fimbriata. No takers yet.

Pford...do you have pepperweed growing around? The Checkered Whites out here use that as a larval host...it grows wild in Spring...and they lay gobs and gobs of eggs on it. Zinnias are good for attracting butterflies...they work wonders out here too.

Mellie...those little stinkhorns come in handy. Whenever I'm checking the citrus for Giant Swallowtails or Ornythion Swallowtails I brush my hands over the leaves and branches and wait to see if what I disturbed will cause a caterpillar to emit that odor. Helps me pinpoint where they are at :o)

Got lucky and watched a Zebra Heliconian ovipositing today :o)

~ Cat

The ZLs are visiting on the Mexican Firebush every day. Mestras usually hanging around those lush tall grasses. Sulfurs are often on the Lion's Ear. And the tall cosmos are still attracting butterflies like ZLs, sulfurs and VF.

TexasPP- that's a beauty of a shot of the ZL! Thanks also for sharing pics of your bait holders. I have a couple of "holders" that I think will be put into service as fruit trays, I'll post a pic later.

DH took some pics of a lone monarch cat yesterday, here's a nice one.
Cathy

Great pictures everyone! I tried to chase down a Zebra that seems to be using my yard only as a path throught the neighborhood! It doesn't say in one place long enought to snap a shot!
I love the Orange Barred! But what is up with the Blue Pigmy....no blue??

Hi Becky
it was just lika a Swedish flag, yellow and blue,
very beautiful picture
~Sylvia