DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 57

LOL -- Peg and MJS

These little microscopes are going for dirt cheap prices right now. I bought my locally for $21. They started out on the market @ $134.

Martha

The little Monarchs are becoming bigger Monarchs! Here's one that molted while I was sleeping (or knocked out on pain pills). I like how their antennae-thingies are slicked back to their head like greasers when they first molt. And how they take a while to unfold like the one in the picture. Sometimes I go in and straighten them out because they're just not Monarchs unless they're waving those things around.

And here's a big guy that I was playing with. They grow up so fast!

Melanie

What store for $21.00 ?

Dillard's for $21.

Ah...am trying to catch up on posts. I've missed out on quie a bit! I see ya'll are playing with your new microscopes. Has anyone photographed a butterfly egg?

Our weather has been warming up during the day but the nights are still chilly. Nothing like the freezing and below freezing temps ya'll get up north. Still 45 or so at night - I know, I know...a warm front for ya'll :o) but dagnabbit cold for us :o)

Had a crazy Mexican Silverspot and Guava Skipper eclose earlier this week. It was about 65 degrees when I released them but the sun was peeking in and out and they both flew off into the wild blue yonder.

Here's the Mexican Silverspot photo.

~ Cat

Same Mexican Silverspot - ventral view - you can see how easy it is to confuse it with the Gulf Fritillary butterfly - when they are on the wing you see lots of orange and think GF. I often miss them but there's just something different that makes you take a second look and realize it's a MSP and not a GF :o) These are also in the longwing family and use passion vines as a larval host.

~ Cat

This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 11:14 AM

Ok...I've got 7 Monarch cat's inside with the temps expected to go back down into the 30's again. How many leaves do I need to have for them...it seems like they are really finishing them up now...( like do I need to go buy a couple more plants?)

Oooh...I'm really bummed! One of my two-tailed tigers that are out on the deck emerged. Obviously, that's a problem in January. I'm wondering if there is any way to prevent this. It's just hanging there, looking beautiful....so beautiful.

Cat, gorgeous pix of the Mexican Silverspot. I've never seen one here. Their ventral sides are unbelievably beautiful. Thanks for the idea of placing a BF egg under the microscope! Course, I'll have to wait til spring or summer. When the time comes, I'll post some pix for you.

MSJ, I don't know the answer.

Linda, I've been raising two cats inside -- a Black Swallowtail and a GF. I've worried what will happen to them if they eclose during the winter. Both of them pupated in December. I moved them to the garage, cold but protected. Sure enough, the cold has slowed their metamorphoses. They are still hanging in my gladware cage in the garage. I hope they will diapause through the entire winter. I'm convinced Mother Nature equipped them to get thru the winter, hopefully until spring. Granted, weather works differently in TX. Can you refrigerate the chrysalis stage?

Martha

It is hard to know when you have enough foliage. It seemed to me that with the Monarchs, any time I even suspected I didn't have enough foliage, I always ended up running out before the last cat pupated....unless I found more somewhere. They're piggies, little eating machines!

I took it out on a stick with a little washcloth attached and it flew away. I wish I could stick the chrysalises into a refrigerator. Some might be programmed to emerge after a certain amount of cold time....maybe. I know I feel like the winter should be over soon...and it isn't likely to be soon.

Well, you might remember I mentioned getting a necklace for Christmas from my parents from my favorite store, anthropologie. The pendant is glass and has a cute little caterpillar on a shamrock. I thought you guys might like it.

Mom went out to pick milkweed today and found another egg and a first instar cat. Don't they know it's January?

Melanie

I found two more on the milkweed today too...in different spots of the yard. I'm going to have to call the local nursery that carries the plants and see if they have any or I'm going to run out!

Cute little necklace Melanie. Linda, I don't know about you, but here it is suppose to be decent weather for a week or more. Since a lot of bfs don't live more than 2 weeks, I figure I need to give them a chance to be free. I had a BST emerge a few days ago. I know there isn't much blooming, but parsley is growing good, so it may find a mate and lay eggs!

Precious cat on a shamrock, Melanie.

Looks like January is posing all kinds of problems south of me. We went thru those same problems in November- December. Nature is the same everywhere -- survival of the fittest.

Martha

I've been in Mexico this week. There are butterflies here, but not cooperating for picture taking.

long tailed skipper

Great long-tailed skipper, Marna. You also got a black ant in your 2nd photo. This is a nice time of year to go south.

Martha

Thanks Martha. Here are some from today.

Not a very good pix, but there were a bunch of little ones (looked like eastern tailed blues) on these vines. I didn't bring my good camera, so most pix were duds.

some Fritilary I guess… feel free to chime in with IDs, I haven't looked them up yet.

again. There were two of these in the area.

I think this is a sonoran metalmark, but what do I know!

same one

I thought this might be some kind of angled sulphur

Headed to bed, DH due at the hosp early for surgery tomorrow. But wanted to say those are terrific shots and I am so jealous!!

Mrs-Ed --

If you were in Mexico and photographed these butterflies...then they look like the list below. The Texan Crescent could be another type of crescent...I'm calling them off the top of my head. Didn't get my guide book out either :o)

Can't tell what they are - Post #6030673
Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia) Post #6030678
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana) Post #6030700
Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia) Post #6030705

~ Cat

So many skippers.

Ooooo,thanks Cat. Yes, I'm in Cabo San Lucas.

I'm glad the "tailed orange" photo was in focus as I knew it was different from the others. the inside wings were darker than the other sulphurs.

speaking of other sulphurs…

skipper 2

skipper 3

skipper 4

well you get the picture, lots of skippers.

I'm hoping ot get some more photos tomorrow morning near the airport. I saw a bunch there when we landed. I swear, almost the first thing I saw was a pipevine swallowtail. Of course I wasn't even in the terminal yet and security was all over the place, so I couldn't whip out my camera!!

Marna, congratulations. You really got some great shots. I loved seeing the skippers and sulphurs burying their little proboscises in the flowers. So cute. I've never seen a tailed orange. This is really exciting.

Martha

Ooh, that sulphur from Mexico is neat!

It got down to 34 last night and they say tonight it could dip into the 20s. Never fear - the strawberry farmers are up all night protecting their crops so we can enjoy fresh berries soon. I love to see the reporters out there in the fields every year - it's almost as much fun as watching them get blown around by hurricanes.

The Monarchs are still munching away. I'm going to have to plant more milkweed! My current plants are starting to leaf out from the bottom but those darn butterflies keep laying eggs on them!

My first baby made got in the J position last night. One less mouth to feed - yea!

Melanie

Congrats Mel on the "J"!

Thanks, I think I have two more looking to settle down and make their silk button. I went out today to pick a lot of milkweed leaves in case the cold temps tonight kill it off. I found one more cat and ten eggs while I was out there. I also brought in two baby Gulf Frit cats from the passion vine. Do they not know it's January?! I know I'm not the only garden in town, LOL!

Melanie

Melanie, remember the nursery rhyme: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe -- had so many children, she didn't know what to do. We'll change the rhyme to: There was a young woman who lived in a shoe -- had so many cats, she didn't know what to do! LOL

Martha