Not much to start a new thread with, but it's all I have. We had a warm day today and we spotted a sulphur nectaring on the Oxalis.
We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/934205/
This message was edited Jan 8, 2009 6:54 PM
I like your sulphur. I used it to show Mom how they can have pink markings since most of the ones we see are pure yellow. Maybe cause we don't have too much "winter" here.
My little Monarchs have settled down and seem to be getting ready to molt. I can't wait until they're big enough to play with. : )
Melanie
I saw one flitting around the yard the other day in my area.
Yes, Melanie I think it is a winter form Southern Dogface. But the sulphurs are ones I can't id well.
Peg...It is just nice to see any of them fliting around now isn't it?
Ah, yes. I think it is a Dogface. I don't see those very often but I planted a false indigo (amorpha fruticosa) this year so maybe they'll take up residence. I usually only see the Cloudless or Orange-Barred sulphurs and I can tell those apart most of the time. Oh, and the Dainty Sulphurs are small enough I can tell what they are. But other than that, I'm with you. They're hard to tell apart! It doesn't help that they fly so fast either.
Melanie
Thanks Melanie.
I went out to pick food for the Monarchs today and found thirteen more, which brings my total caterpillars to eighteen. I might have to take some to the museum but I'm sure they'd appreciate that since they haven't had any Monarch cats in weeks. I noticed most of them were on the flower buds, three or four of them hiding in the clump. Usually, they're on the undersides of leaves and while I have seen them on the buds before, I haven't seen this many laid there all at one time.
Melanie
It is getting later in the season for you and the leaves are not as tender as the buds. That is what the last batch did here, I almost missed some because of that.
Gulf Frittilary on Mexican Sage.
Monarch on Butterfly Weed.
Monarch again.
I've got about 5 Monarch cat's now . I bought a new milkweed, and left it in the pot. We're supposed to have cold weather here for the next few nights ( down to 30-32), I don't have a caterpillar cage. I was thinking I'd just stick them on the plant and put it in one of the bath tubs.
what do you use for caterpillar cages.
I can't find my Zebra Longwing cat's. They were there Friday...they don't seem to grow as fast as the Monarchs. I'm running out of passionvine for them too.
Click on my ID and go to my Journal. I have some pictures and info there under "Raising Butterflies" (should be caterpillars!). Also at the top of the Butterfly Forum there is a "sticky" that is loaded with information on raising caterpillars.
Well I've got the 5 Monarchs in the house now. It's supposed to be dropping to freezing or below. Bought a couple of potted Milkweeds and covered the MW outside so there should be enough food for them. Right now they are roaming " free" on the potted MW sitting in the bathtub. But I've got a container and some very fine mesh screen so will be making up a makeshift home for them. I wasn't really planning on "raising them inside but I don't want them to freeze to death either. D's SO is ROFLOL...caterpillers have taken over the one bathroom!!!
The second GF cat that I found outside a while back is doing the J. First is already pupated. The ones that are late in the year (or in this case...early in the year...I guess) are smaller. The first has a pretty small chrysallis.
I found four more Monarch cats when I went to pick milkweed today. I told all the cats how lucky they are that they're not outside where it's supposed to get down to 34 degrees!
Well, I have my gall bladder out tomorrow at 11:30 am. Mom and Dad are taking the day off to come with me. Mom is in charge of the Monarchs while I'm recovering. Dad likes them, too. He says they look like rastafarians with their colors and their "dreads". LOL!
Melanie
Oh Melanie, we will keep you in our thoughts and prayers tomorrow. Take it easy for a few days, and get well soon as you can. Hugs : )
~Lucy
Oh, Melanie....Glad you told us so we can offer up a prayer for you. I know your Mom will take good care of the group for you. Just do what the doctor says and hope you are back home soon. Let us know how things proceed as soon as you are better.
Melanie,
You'll be up and about in no time. Take care!!
Sending best wishes your way, Melanie!
Thanks everyone! I made it through but I'm still in some pain. Luckily, I've got Mom and Dad waiting on me hand and foot. And would you believe I just woke up and turned to look at my caterpillars and in my other cage with all the chrysalids there is a Polydamas that decided to come out. Don't they know it's cold and I'm in recovery?!
Melanie
I found two more Monarch cats. Ending up making a temporary cage from a clear plastic shoe box. Cut the whole middle out of the top and put some left over 20/20 screen from the front porch on it (duct taped it to the top...no tape where babies could get stuck) Since they were about the same size and the two larger ones I had on the pot of milkweed in the fern stand in the bathroom, I put all four of them in there and the 3 smaller ones are still in the fern stand. I was afraid the bigger ones might decide to start wandering around the house!! Anyway I hope this cold weather goes away soon so I can put them back on the plants outside.
mj
ohhh, can't remember who's instructions I was looking at but I used the live flora foam to stick the leaves down in...and gave them a couple of sticks and a stalk w/ flowers to eat too. Floral foam works good...also works good for rooting cuttings, which is why I happened to have some!
Well wishes, Melanie! Hope you are not to sore. You will be up in no time flat!
C a n n o t believe you folks still have cats and BFs. It was 18° here last night. What a world of wonder -- freezing in one place and butterflies flitting about in another!
Linda, don't laugh. Guess what my picture is.
Martha
8 monarch cat's in the cage...poor things are so confused.....it was 80 degrees last week. Now it's not even makeing it out of the 50's, ( I know...some of you would kill for something above "0".........but we aren't used to this kind of weather.
We have been bouncing between freezing and the sixties for a couple months now. But I still have Gulf Frit cats on my passion vine! It still has leaves enough to feed them; guess they do dormant when it gets cold.
Glad you are on the road to recovery Melanie!!! I am sure you are glad to have the surgery behind you. Don't worry about the babies, let Mom take care of them and you for now. Just get well and stronger....spring is ahead!!...somewhere!
I just watched some of the Monarch cats molt which is always fun. Mom went out in the cold and picked milkweed for them (Dad picked it yesterday).
They're doing the annual bird count this week in Tampa and Dad said the paper reported it's so cold we had White Winged Scoters. http://davesgarden.com/guides/birdfiles/go/392/ It's the first time they've ever seen them this far south since they began counting in 1987. It must be cold up north!
Melanie
Believe me, Melanie, it's cold up North. I saw on Nature or some TV channel that scientists are saying we are going to enter another ice age. I think it's already here! lol
Melanie, did you have laparoscopic surgery?
Martha
Martha, I did have the laparoscopic surgery. I wasn't brave enough to look at the incisions the first two days so I made Dad check them. They don't look too bad; it's just that I don't like seeing Melanie hurt. Plus, I've never had surgery so this was all new to me.
Despite it being cold outside (high of 63 here) both parents reported seeing a Zebra Longwing flying around. Also, Dad was working in the garage when a very large butterfly flew up in his face. We figure it must have been a swallowtail from the size but it was just a blur to him so he couldn't tell what kind.
A few of my Monarchs have molted into their final instar so they're getting pretty big. You know how they say petting animals lowers people's blood pressure and makes them feel better? Well, everything furry makes me sneeze, but I think petting my caterpillars works just as well. Plus, watching their antics makes me laugh. I love how the Monarchs antennae thingies wiggle when they walk and how they "twitch" all the time. It's too cute.
Melanie
Melanie, you're a born natural!
Martha
Yup, one of these days I'm going to sprout wings...and antennae!
And, you will be able to smell with your feet!
Martha
As long as my feet don't smell, I'm all right with that!
A butterfly's feet DO smell. [pun]! They can taste with their feet too, as well as their tongue.
Especially the feet of a butterfly that likes to light on dung. Ew! I got some pansies and petunias yesterday at a nursery for the butterflies to nectar on. Already I saw a sulfur on them and I haven't even started planting them.
Glad you're on the mend, Melanie. Take it easy for a while!
Linda, did you see my post above? I bought the Carson digital microscope like yours and I absolutely love it. Can't wait to find a butterfly foot to examine! Like there are butterfly feet everywhere! Seriously, I can look for insects who are enemies of our precious cat babies. I did photograph some of my seeds yesterday. They are fascinating to see up close. The different species don't even vaguely resemble one another. I also photographed a drop of tap water. It was fairly clean (no amoeba or protozoa, for which I am grateful!!!).
Images below:
Top, left to right - ventral abdomen of a beetle and Red Lady Salvia 'coccines' seeds. (The beetle is a little too large for the microscope. It would photograph better if it were dissected into smaller parts that fit on the slide.)
Bottom, left to right - Triple Yellow Datura seed and Fennel seeds
Martha
Anybody, guess what kind of seeds these are. (Hint: Monarchs love 'em)
Looks great, Martha! You've gone farther than I have with it...I haven't tried taking any pictures and posting them yet. Just looking so far! The wonderful world of zooming in on things. I had already seen things like amoebas and protozoas when I took a lab years ago and used their microscopes and slides. And I'm not sure those can be seen with this thing. But tons of other things to look at anyway!
Linda, I agree that it is unlikely you could see an amoeba, but take a look at these little seeds. They are actually the size of the point of a pin.
Martha
PS, be sure you click on the enlargement of the pic.
This message was edited Jan 18, 2009 4:06 PM
I'M JEALOUS,I WANT A MICROSCOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fort Worth, TX
(Zone 8a)
January 18, 2009
7:23 PM
Post #6021500
I'M JEALOUS,I WANT A MICROSCOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!....................YA...........What she (Datura) said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pouting.............
