DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 42

greenhouse for mine.

I do believe, those were the easiest things I have ever rooted.

Well, it's really short and really bad, LOL, but here's my first ever upload to youtube.

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=qznXMFunixQ

Susan
=^..^=

Hello. I've been lurking and learning. This year I decided to put my big toe into the water and plant a couple of things to attract hummers and butterflies. Now I'm hooked. I live in a large city but this year I've seen a hummingbird, hummingbird moths, tiger swallowtails, black swallowtails, spicebushes, silver-spotted and least skippers, pearl crescents, and american painted ladies. Hubby laughs at me when I'm out stalking these pretties with my camera. I was so excited to see cats on my parsley. Hubby won't admit it but he checked on them every day too.

I'm not sure what kind of butterfly this is. It really doesn't match anything that I've found so far. Any ideas?

A side view.

No lurking, LOL! Just jump right in and ask us questions or add to the discussion.

Welcome, welcome! You've got one of the Fritillaries there. I only get the Gulf Frit (not a true Frit anyway) so I haven't really bothered yet to learn all the other Frits. Someone from up north, help us out with an ID.

Back to keeping the Zebra Swallowtail cats from eating each other...

Melanie

I am saying a Variegated Fritillary.....here are a couple links. Great shots!
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-page.asp?sp=Euptoieta-claudia
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/8/

Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I have lots of questions. I'm reading and trying to learn.

Variegated Fritillary---yup, that's it! Thanks so much.

My current favorites are the hummingbird moths. What are their favorite plants for nectar, larvae, and nesting? I went to the Ohio state university site but these moths aren't listed. I really like them but catching a pic is difficult. They are so amazing. Anyone have any pointers on what I can plant to attract them? I can't have anything that would be invasive since we only have a small city lot (one-fifth of an acre lot). I need plants that will behave and not take over. All suggestions are appreciated.

Snowberry

Nice Variegated Fritillary you got there velnita! Let's see more OH butterflies!

Susan, your video was short, but very sweet! Now, I'm looking forward to many more. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could capture a butterfly eclosing on video. Be prepared, it just might happen for you.

I know that this is a common one but I love the look on his little face. He was a camera hog and followed me around the yard when I was out.

Silver-spotted skipper

This is another one that I'm having problems IDing. It's pretty small but pretty. The front legs looked like they have long hairs or something. Any ideas?

Sorry that I couldn't get a better pic. I tried but it was fuzzy.

ooo, so pretty, i had a beach towel in those colors once!

Here is one the same colors, but that is where the comparison stops. http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/1425/

Yup, that's the right colors but the wrong critter. Thanks for taking the time to look, though. I'm not sure where to look. The only book that I have is the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Insects and Spiders. It's not much help on this one.

I think it's his antennae that has the long hairs instead of his front legs. I tried to crop the photo for a closer view so it's a bit fuzzy. Hope this helps.

wow, even cuter

Here you go....find it here I bet.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/169103

Yup, moths have "feathery"looking antenna. It's one way to tell them apart from butterflies, who tend to have "club-shaped" antenna. I wonder if Canadians say butterfly antenna look like hockey sticks? That's what I think they look like; no one in my family golfs though...

Melanie (who got the day off for the tropical storm but is feeling none of its effects!)

Found it!
Chickweed Geometer
http://bugguide.net/node/view/33738
Knowing that it's a moth really helped a lot.

awww, still cute.

haha. I have a pastel love today!

Not a pastel, but I liked the look on his (her?) face.

oooo, cute too! I'm on cute overload today

Can someone please tell me how long the gulf frit is generally in the chrysallis before it ecloses? I can't find the answer anywhere!!! We're going away for a week in September, and I don't want to bring too many more GF cats in, I hate to ask my kittycats' sitter to be releasing butterflies while we're gone! Not that she would mind but she wouldn't delight in it like I do, and I hate to miss a single fly-away!

Thea - they usually take anywhere from 7 to 12 days....well, at least here anyway. Not too many butterfly chrysalids overwinter. Ah, the joys of having a warm winter!!!

~ Cat

:-p~~~ or however you do a raspberry! LOL! I am jealous of you and all the bfs you get, now you are bringing up the temps too! LOL!

I would say 7-12 days is about right. Mine came out around day 9 and 10.
~Lucy

Amazing variety of butterflies everyone. All so very beautiful.
I planted my first butterfly garden this year and I'm pretty much seeing the same butterflies as always but now I see them at home. Until about a month ago we were in a pretty severe drought and I wasn't seeing any at all. Now we've had more rain than I've ever seen before. Here is what I think is a Painted Lady. A little worse for wear but still wonderful to see.

The Doa ampla (I just call it Queen's Delight Moths, 'cause I don't think it has any official name) cats are growing big on my Queen's Delight. I love those colors!

Thanks for the GF pupation info! My BST's have all been taking an average of ten days, I've been making an effort to tag nearby each chrysalis so I can keep track. Adds to the fun, and if I have any winter over again, as I did last year, it will be real interesting to see how many months they are in suspended animation!
The GF chrysalids are so different, and it's weird the way one day a chrysallis will be pointed to the right, and the next, it's pointed to the left. I have several in odd places on the deck, like under the patio table on the umbrella support, and I'm so nervous about it getting kicked (by DH) or brushed against (by the dog or the neighbor's cat), or worse, discovered by an anole, when the dog or the cat aren't there to chase it away....

mine took 10 as well (BSTs)

Yesterday evening

pretty!! They all just love that thistle!! I noticed that this weekend too when I was out and about.

I'm trying to weigh that situation out. As much as I want BFs to visit my yard I definitely DON'T want thistles in it. I don't care how pretty they are when they bloom.

Yah, i hear ya GK. If I lived in the country and could have a parcel of land dedicated to a butterly patch, I'd put it in. But besides being stickery, they are HUGE.

In other news…

I have a black swallowtail cat on the MOVE! Hope it finds a spot to its pleasing!!

Here's another photo from that Giant Swallowtail series.

While we're on the subject of thistle, Check out this photo that cracks me up because of the little bug coming out of the flower.

And this thistle flower was very popular too!

Back at home though, this is the popular plant.

Your photos are beautiful Mrs. Ed, especially the two swallowtails on the phlox. I LOVE phlox, next year I'll have to grow more, I just have a small white one. They smell so divine!!

I have a native thistle, which doesn't get so big. I allow a few in the yard and a few more out by the street and don't have a problem with it. Cardoon is from Europe, and too big and aggressive for some people to tolerate in their gardens.

Actually got off on time today so I spent about an hour looking over my yard. Found Brazilian Skipper eggs on the cannas and a Brazilian Skipper caterpillar pupating - those are long buggers!!!

~ Cat

A couple of Brazilian Skipper eggs. The pinkish one is fresh, the green one is probably a day or two old. There's an empty egg shell - couldn't find a caterpillar though. Unless it's the one that chewed up half the canna and started to pupate in the post above :o)

~ Cat