...by the way...the Green Shrimp plant has little non-descript blooms. Very tiny white...went outside but only found remnants of dried blooms. You can still see the tiny white to brownish flowers.
This plant does not have the scaled or shrimp tail look as the one that has reddish bracts. All the plant parts remain green...or have remained green so far. No coloration like the other type of shrimp plant.
~ Cat
Melanie - LOL! Actually if your butterfly emerged today, it doesn't share my birthday. (My birthday was yesterday!) Great photos! Glad you got to be home to see it. Many of my butterflies eclose late in the day. I just release them the next morning.
Cat - Thanks for posting the photo of the Green Shrimp plant! :-) What else uses it as a host? Any other butterflies/moths?
Did you mean this shrimp plant? Am I on the path where the mentioned buterflies visit?
Lily - That looks like yellow shrimp plant ... not the green variety. Still pretty no matter what color the blooms are! :-) I had some yellow in my garden in the Spring. I don't know what happened to it. Hmmm ...
Cat, I noticed that the green shrimp plant looked as if it was all green, in the pictures I saw. That's ok, it's just for the hopeful BF's. : )
~Lucy
Yes debnes, I´ve take it last summer in my garden it is an Inachis io the larva lives on plants of Urtica. I dont know what the names is in US but we called it Påfågelöga
Sheila the butterfly is on my plant Inula magnifica. I´ve think I got seeds.
Cat I think so to, it´s very exotic for me to see all butterflies from other countries. This summer I´ve plant many kinds which butterflies likes, so I hope to "get in on photos" next summer "not on Tape as Bergeron" says lol.
~Sylvia
Awesome Sylvia~
Several of our brushfoots use Urtica aka Thistle ...here in the US and in Australia too.
Påfågelöga (Inachis io) > (Swedish name of Sylvia's butterfly)
Couldn't find the name of the butterfly in Latin, but I found a great photo site:
http://www.pbase.com/bister/butterflies (Check this site everybody)
You get several of the same ones we do. I am so glad you joined our little thread. I love seeing butterflies from other places.. Even more glad to see you appreciate them and conserve them there.
*interesting, the Vanessa butterflies are called Cynthia in Sweden... ie. Painted Lady Cynthia cardui.... Here it is Vanessa cardui.
debnes
This message was edited Nov 20, 2007 7:06 AM
This message was edited Nov 20, 2007 7:07 AM
This message was edited Nov 20, 2007 8:50 AM
Wow! Thanks for sharing Debnes
Kim
YVWelcome Kim!
Our outing is delayed a bit today because of the pea soup fog hovering over the forest. The temps will be up to 80* here, so we should see a lot of cool things out in the woods.
Yeah, a vital necessity of the Cynthia/Vanessa species' is probably overlooked and seldom allowed in most 'beautiful' American gardens. I say this because people are more apt to spray herbicides on their host plants (thistle, et. al.), and then run down to the local garden store in favor of something more manicured and aesthetic.
However... when people see these butterflies they say, "Wow! What a gorgeous butterfly!!, Someone get my camera, quick!!" A lot ironic huh?
Cheers! to those of you who will let a little thistle (particularly Urtica) grow in your garden somewhere!!
debnes
I myself have been more aware of our environments the last few years with the advent of declining number of bees and all. And the more I'm aware of the beauty nature has to offer us, the more I like to learn new ways and lean toward organic gardening. This year has been one of the most rewarding/gratifying in my gardening experience. More reason to celebrate Thanksgiving day. :-)
One couldn't tell there is a bee decline from being down here in the Thicket. There must be hives in the woods, because when my kids set down a soda can they come out. Thank goodness they're not aggressive.
We'll be traveling home today. I don't want to go, but I need to get home to water all my plants. It will be getting down into the thirties tonight in Fort Worth.
I planted about 45 different kinds of seed over an acre and a half in a special spot we go to on the land. There were already a few patches of blue mist growing wild, and many species of wildflowers as expected.
While I was planting seeds I saw this:
Cloudless Sulphur& Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)
debnes
Beautiful way to come home to. Thanks Debnes for sharing. Top of the morning to you!
Kim
I keep the thistles going, even though I've never seen cats on them. It's still a good nectar plant and when the butterflies are happy I am also...I was seeing thistle blooming everywhere this year. I've got one stinging nettle plant. A friend grew some from seed her DIL collected while visiting family in Germany (she's a very sweet DIL to do that!) and she gave me one plant. I ordered some nettle seed, so hope to grow more. As long as I remember exactly where the plant is (it's well marked and not where I have to walk) the stinging part won't bother me.
BTW, this is no butterfly, but look at the frog my friend found in her yard. We were trying to ID it and someone suggested it is an American Green Tree Frog.
Cute fella, has he given a name? I've a bull frog and boys doesn't he get big! What's bigger's is his voice. Ever heard a bullfrog calls for mate? Beautiful calling only to its future mate, of course.
Beautiful tree frog, Linda! Love the froggies! :-)
As far as I know, she didn't name it. But she was really excited because it reminded her of the tree frogs she had seen in Panama while she was stationed there...years ago before she took retirement. We don't have too many frogs in the area because this part of Texas is a little bit on the drier side. But our wet, wet summer sure made it a frog and toad summer! Could use some of that rain now...so dry again.
Linda, if you have a pond with fish, beware, the bullfrogs will eat them.
Nice little tree frog. An shocking pic of the sulpher Deb!!
It is really cold here tonight, compared to what it has been. Actually we have been a bit above normal for months now. At least we won't have ice and for that I am very Thankful!
Hope Turkey Day is special for all of you this week!
Sheila
Ooooh Sheila! Say WHAT? Bull frog will eat fish? OOOOOHHHHHH, YIKES! I'd better chase that fella away! No wonder I couldn't find my Baby China Doll!!! (My baby koi). Ahhh that isn't a way I want to bring in my Thanksgiving eve. sniff sniff.
Well, just think how happy you made the bullfrog--lol
Dean, I haven't seen the booger for almost a week, and that thing almost doubled in size!!!! Help!!!!
It was a good butterfly day! I've never seen a zebra long wing in my backyard. I didn't even know they were in South Carolina. But, voila! I was so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I saw a ZLW, too, today for the first time since last year! YAY!
I took my family on a tour of Hilton Head today. And while the tour guide was talking about the Union invasion I had an ADD moment and followed this butterfly down this beach. Anyone know what it is?
Cabbage White butterfly is what it looks like to me!
http://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth01.html
Cat, here are a couple pictures of what I suspect/hope might be Green Shrimp Plant. This one is a volunteer right on the path.
A closer view
These aren't the best pics, I think I'll try again later.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!
Cathy
Hi everybody,
If you haven't seen my thread on Milkweed and you want some seeds please go check it out. I realize that alot of you have participated in the seed swap, and I didn't have time to pursue that, but if you want/need some milkweed seeds please let me know.
james t
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE !!
Happy Thanksgiving to all. James that's so thoughtful of you. Thanks to the B.W. I discovered the monarch cats. for the first time via our helpful members here at Dave's. Many thanks to our Dave's garden's members.
Kim
Argggggggggggggggggh!!!
I missed it!!! I was at the NABA park on Sunday, 11-18-07 and put my butterfly brew on a couple of fence posts that border a ditch next to the wooden area of the park as well as put out cut up tangerines and more brew. I'd been walking around with friends for about four hours before I decided to head home to beat the rush hour traffic on the expressway. I'd literally walked by the posts and rope fenced area and saw a butterfly on the post along with a wasp - I was about a dozen feet away and thought...ho hum...another tawny emperor so I didn't go any closer or take any photos and I left the park.
When I got home and logged onto our local butterfly list server I read where a fellow butterflier sighted a One-Spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophon) on a baited fence post. There is only one area where there are fence posts ARGGGGHHHH!!!!
Oh well, am so happy my bait recipe attracted a rare butterfly and that our NABA IB Park has a new butterfly record...and of course that the USA had another first record :o) woohooo!!!!!!
Here's a link to our local NABA website showing the new butterfly. The photos show the post with my bait :o)
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/onespottedprepona.html
On another note...I went to the park yesterday and gave Ray, our park guy, more tangerines and a small bottle of butterfly brew to put out while I sat under the palapa and ate my lunch (I'd worked the midnight shift, got off at 8am went home, tried to sleep, gave up and drove to the park instead picking up lunch along the way).
At around 4pm yesterday a flock of not so common butterflies showed up. The Guatemalan Cracker, a Common Banner (which is not common!), two Ruby-Spotted Swallowtails, a Red Rim, several Malachites, several Silver Emperors, a Question Mark, Curved-Winged Metalmark, Mazan's Scallopwing, Glazed Pellicia and a Red-Lined Scrub Hairstreak???...which we were not able to get a photo of...it was too flighty, too tiny and we kept losing track of it.
We also had an Eight-Spotted Longtail and Erato Heliconian earlier in the week...but neither made an appearance when I was there.
Oh...and get this...someone started questioning (on our butterfly local list server postings) all the 'new' records and rare butterflies showing up. One guy says there are 'tweezer' markings on the One-Spotted Prepona and says someone is catching butterflies (from Mexico) and turning them loose near the park...or is afraid of getting caught by Customs and turning them loose right before they cross the checkpoints - that also border the river. Hence, a butterfly would follow the river and eventually come across one of parks.
Considering the Fall season is our peak time for finding rare butterflies and that other rarities and first US records are coming from other parks along the river areas...common sense would tell the idiot tossing out accusations that the pushing cool fronts, fluctuating weather/winds and the fact that we are putting out bait and fruit and there are more eyes looking means we're going to see and photograph more butterflies!!!
This is a photo of the Guatemalan Cracker (ventral view) using the same baited post that the 'prepona' used. No sign of the One-Spotted Prepona - we also saw several chachalakas (mexican pheasants) at the park - a few individual birds were on the bait logs and around the fruit stations eating the fruit - we're thinking perhaps one of those ate the Prepona - more so if it was sitting happily drunk feeding at my bait :o)
~ Cat
This message was edited Nov 22, 2007 11:31 AM
These are chachalakas - Mexican Pheasants...or the equivalent of. Noisy always hungry birds. Here are two pecking at the fruit under a hanging tiered basket of cut up oranges and tangerines etc. One of the birds got up on the basket and forced fruit to fall out to the ground.
~ Cat
Cat, I have seen more new butterflies and dragonflies this year that at any other time in the past 30 plus years that I have lived here in Houston. I think shifting weather patterns (prevailing winds) has a lot to do with this. The new sightings across the U.S. of the Black Witch moth is a good example. I reported the first one sighted in Chaves Co. N.M. just a few years ago. Now they are almost becoming common.
Rod
Cathy...I can't tell if that is green shrimp plant or not. I've seen something like that popping up in the garden and yard...but it has a small yellow flower - a weed :o) The green shrimp plant grows about 16-24 tall. Time will tell though...
Happy Thanksgiving to all too!!!
Work made tossed salad of my schedule for the holiday. Had originally been scheduled to work 8-4 - so my brother was going to cook and save T-day dinner leftovers for me...but on Tuesday at 4pm before I left home Admin called to say I was going to work midnight to 8am on Wednesday (couldn't sleep Tuesday afternoon - so left to work at 11pm for my midnight Cinderella shift. Then couldn't fall asleep when I got off at 8am...so drove home to shuck the uniform then headed out to the NABA park for the day) - I fell asleep at 7pm yesterday evening and slept until 7am :o) Gotta go back to work for my 2pm -10pm shift today, then get back up for a 6am to 2pm tomorrow (Friday) - whew!!! Family decided to hold off and celebrate on Saturday instead.
I should know better...all the 'low earners' - meaning those that don't volunteer to work overtime get zapped first...that means the majority of us that work a regular fixed schedule with weekends off. Oh well, guess messing with my regular schedule for three days out othe years isn't so bad. I just can't see myself working double shifts and wearing myself out all during the year like some of the folks. There are guys that pull in about 30k extra in overtime each year - add that to a very well paid salary we already get just means Uncle Sam gets a bigger chunk, the spouse and kids are spending it without you and you're killing yourself for the almighty dollar. Nope, that's not for me...I'd rather go out butterflying!!!
Hmmm...guess this means I'll be working a tossed salad shift for Christmas as well?!
~ Cat
I sure hope not, Cat! That stinks! I'm with you ... money isn't everything! And it certainly isn't worth our mental and physical health! Enjoy your Thanksgiving on Saturday! :-)
Rod...
I remember seeing a Black Witch a few years back as being a rare sighting. For the past couple of years they are in abundance. I got a kick out of reading the report of one on an oil rig 25 miles out on the Gulf Coast!!!
Am still waiting to see a White Witch...there have been no records for the US...although our local NABA website guy said a lady sent him a photo from Donna, TX...I haven't seen it yet.
Please remember to send your Black Witch sighting to Mike Quinn:
http://texasento.net/witchna.htm
Here's another female Black Witch from 11/18/07. Love the coloring on this one!
~ Cat
That is gorgeous Cat!!!
Cat-
How lovely. The markings look iridescent like a shell. What a treat.
Jenny
Cat,
I will send photos to Mike, as you have suggested. I did a quick check of the site and see that I will have the only Chaves Co. NM sightings. My photos are BD (before digital) so I will need to do some scanning. Will post one here when I get that done. The first one, FYI, measured a wingspan of 7-1/4". It actually held still while we placed a ruler up close for the photo.
Rod
Cat,
Found this one in my digital files. Properties says I took it on New Years Day, 2003. Don't remember it being in cold weather, but I will stick with that date until I can find a record that says otherwise. The earlier sighting was around 2001, in the summer. It was on the awning of my Airstream that I kept parked at my sisters place (my home away from home). This is actually the one with the 7-1/4" wingspan. The date above must be the date on which I scanned the photo, as I took several shots of this one.
Rod
Finally got a shot of a GF on Butterfly Clerodendrum, they fly so fast!
Cathy
TPP Pretty exciting about the visitors to your baited fence posts!! Beautiful butterfly!
And congrats on the records!
