DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 44

Nanny, what plant are those whites on? It's a pretty plant.
~Lucy

Nanny...yeppers to that.

Thea...yeppers to that too :o) What kind of passion vine is it on? I can't get the VFs out here to use passion vine at all!!!

~ Cat

This message was edited Aug 29, 2008 5:55 PM

I believe that is a varigated Frit. : )

That is a Caryopteris which is a sub-shrub...don't know which one. I had ordered one called Petit Bleu-2-3ft in size, small. This one is about 5 x 5 almost, so I did not get the right plant. It is a late summer bloomer.

Beautiful plant. MAJOR bee magnet, but BF's and hummers like it too. It is right next the porch. Due to the bees it will be moved later on!! LOL

Edited for typo's, spelling and other errors!

This message was edited Aug 29, 2008 9:12 PM

I gotta get me some of that. I like it alot. : )
Elaine, put that on our list. lol ; )

~Lucy

This message was edited Aug 29, 2008 6:59 PM

Cat, my passionvine is the Maypop, passiflora incarnata, my first experience with one, grown from seeds from another DG'er! I love it, even though it is popping up all over the place!! It's so nice having a huge, dense mess of foliage, I can rest easy that all of my caterpillars can eat their fill. Not like my poor BST cats who have practically chewed down every scrap of parsley and dill in the yard, and mama BST's don't seem to realize it and keep laying more eggs!!!!!!

yes, Lucy on the caryopteris.. lol it's on the list. ... It almost looks like wild ageratum.
My sedums are beginning to bloom also and everything loves it.. great picture, Mrs. Ed
Varigated Frit, Nanny. I had a few of them in the early summer, but never saw any cats from them. Probably those hateful wasps.
Thea, sounds like you have lots of passion vine. Let me know if you run out.. I am planting more dill and parsley.

Elaine, do you have any beebalms? I want to get some of those started, too.

Great pictures everyone. I was so surprised to see three butterflies in the yard today! I know that doesn't sound like many to you guys, but it is poor pickings here lately. I didn't get pictures but saw a Clouded skipper, a Gulf Frit, and I released another BST today (male today female yesterday).
So I need to get my camera handy and bone up on my focus abilities!

Aw,, Sheila, bet your sightings will pick up soon.
Lucy, I have Marshall's Delight beebalm slowly growing. Need to take a few cuttings and root some more.

I love the photos.
Mrs Ed, nice, clear macro. What camera are you using? There's also a good thread in the photos forum for macro shots that you might be interested in.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/891721/
Please keep posting them here, but you might find that thread interesting.
I also read and enjoyed your article. Great info for someone starting out, like me. Very inspiring.

What camera does everyone like to use for catching good butterfly pics? I have a Sony H-50 and it works good but I have a terrible time trying to get a pic of the wings of my hummingbird moth. What does everyone recommend?

I thought I'd share some of the visitors that I've had in the last week.
Since this is my first year trying to attract butterflies, I'm really excited about each and every visitor.

A white one

We've had four of these (Monarchs?) on our mexican sunflowers every day. I don't have any milkweed so I'm going to have to plant some. I have butterfly weed--do they eat that?

Another

This sulfur is my hubby's favorite. He's (she's?) bright and pretty but doesn't like to sit still for long.

This little guy was hiding in the clover. We really don't have grass---just clover and weeds. Someday I need to re-do our lawn areas but in the meantime, I'll just enjoy the pretties that the clover attracts.

I'm not sure who this is. Maybe some kind of skipper?

Spicebush?

I don't know who this is either but he sure is tiny!

This was the highlight of my week. I've wanted to see one of these. I figured, that I live in Ohio (the buckeye state), so where's my buckeyes? I was so excited to see my first one! Yay!

Velnita, wow look at all your beautiful pics! Yes you have a Monarch there : ) and yes they will use butterfly weed, it is in the milkweed family. Asclepias tuberosa is it's botanical name if you want to search it. : )

thea, I have 4 that I can find right now (on rue). Earlier on I found one and it made it to a butterfly : ) I think there may be more, because the ones I found are already in a late instar and I've been checking the rue often and not finding anything. So they must just be good hiders. About the frits I have at least three different species I've seen here. There are more that can be found in NH but maybe not my type of setting. I have planted violets but so far I haven't found any cats on them. I don 't know if I don't have a type they prefer or what.

I keep checking on the butterfly weed but so far I haven't seen any cats. I just planted it this year so maybe they'll find it next year. Strange thing is, I really haven't seen any butterflies on it. They like the Zinnias and mexican sunflowers instead.

I know this is a moth and not a butterfly but I wanted to add it anyway. I just love this little guy. I really wish I could get a better pic of his pretty, lacy wings.

Velnita, Is this what your butterfly weed looks like? I don't think the flowers really attracted any butterflies, but they have attracted Monarch mommas laying eggs :) Although not as much as my other milkweeds have. I am finding evry year they seem to prefer a different milkweed than the last so this could just not be it's year for you. : )

Blueglancer what type of beebalm are you looking for? I think I have every kind! I could send you a start if yoiu'd like. I don't know if this is a good time? Mine are pretty sad looking this time of year. I'd imagine they'd need shade from the hottest parts of the day for you, and a good moist spot to boot : )

I was beginning to doubt the usefulness of Joe Pye Weed as a butterfly attractor, and finally it had a visitor. : )

However he did seem to enjoy the butterfly bush more.

Another.

Need opinions here... I have found a bunch of these on petunia integrifolia. I looked through my guide and the only thing I could come up with was a Tobacco budworm. It says they are highly variable which these are and they feed on a widely varied diet. I could not find anything that specifically likes petunia. What should I do? Leave em? Or pick em of and throw em in the woods to fend for themselves. They are particulary fond of the seed heads and I would like some seeds for myself. What would you all do?

Oops I forgot the pic!!

velnita, thanks for the link!

I have been using (since February) the Pentax K100D DSLR. I had a couple manual of lenses, and bought a smaller one with a macro. However, I just got a new lens to photograph birds (more reach) and it has this macro setting.

I also have a point and shoot Kodak DX7490 that is still quite useful.

Meredith, that is soooo sweet of you. : ) I don't know if now is a good time either, for the beebalm. Do you think next spring would be better? Would these be with roots or without? I don't want you to have to go to any trouble. I don't mind waiting.

Whatever you think, I would be gladly pay you for them.

Beautiful BF. : ) I don't know what that last cat is, looks kinda like my army worms that get on my azaleas. Maybe someone else will know.
~Lucy

Well, I was thinking about it and if I cut them back they usually regrow nice new foliage but then they get wiped out by frost because I have such a short growing season. So I'm thinking they would get new growth for you down there. Right now they all have powdery mildew and they have the seed heads on them because I am going to collect them soon. I probably could have already. The powdery mildew is pretty much unavoidable here but they usually don't get it until they are past their peak so it doesn't bother me. Cutting them back and not leaving the old foliage near the plants works to getthem fresh again.

The ones in your pictures are sooo pretty. : ) I sent ya back a D-mail. : )

I had a Giant ST when I pulled in this morning. I ran to get my camera, but by the time I came back my Polydamas ST had chased him away. The Polydamas are real territorial. I suppose since they were laid, hatched, and raised here they have a good argument for it being "their" turf.

This Monarch seemed more interested in feeding than laying eggs which is good. My Monarch cats have been total piggies in the last 24 hours!

Melanie

Velnita & Meredith both of you have such beautiful pictures today!! I am really enjoying seeing them.
Vel...if the butterfly weed is the one you have, then look on the underneath of leaves near the top for eggs, or if you see leaves that are nibbled on, look underneath. It only takes seconds for mommas to deposit the eggs, and they aren't drawn by the flowers. They use their feet to find a host plant.

Sorry we cross posted Mel, nice photos coming from you too.

This message was edited Aug 30, 2008 11:30 AM

Well, I went back outside to pick MORE milkweed for the piggies and there were butterflies all over. The Polydamas was still trying to maintain dominance over the plumbagos but had switched to the other side of the house. That's where I saw this Spicebush who did not seem in any way intimidated by the crazed Polydamas.

The Giant ST flew through while I was tracking a Zebra Longwing through the bougainvillea and I didn't get pictures of either. There was also a large sulphur flying like mad, and a smaller one that stopped to lay eggs on my cassia. The Monarch was still hanging out, too.

I thought this skipper was a really pretty color.

Forgot I had a closer shot, too!

Edited to say I think this is a female Sachem. Also, after flipping through my books, I think that I saw a Sleepy Orange laying eggs on the cassia. I don't know if I want to bring them in or not - I have bad luck with sulphurs.

This message was edited Aug 30, 2008 1:09 PM