We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/979482/
That thread was getting long! Here's a picture of three of my Orange-Barred Sulphur cats. Last year I got more Cloudless Sulphurs, but I guess the Orange-Barred won this year. At the museum, we've had plenty of both. I really like raising the Orange-Barred; they're so pretty and it's fun that you can tell the males from the females.
I released two female Monarchs today. Here's one of them on my Black and Blue salvia. The milkweed is planted right below so I figured it was a strategic location for her. I also saw a Gulf Frit, Checkered Whites, what I think was a Palamedes ST, and I caught a glimpse of the blue glitter which can only be a Pipevine ST!
No one has found my pipevine yet this year. I've been hiding it in the backyard. For some reason, the Polydamas don't seem to find my pipevine if I set it on our back patio area. If I set it in front of the house, they're all over it. I think maybe it has something to do with being in shade versus sun. When I saw the Pipevine ST I moved the pipevines over to that side in the house, but they're still in the shade. Here's hoping I can get some cats!
Took Mom out to Red Lobster tonight and as we were walking out, I had a thought. There is a big lake next to the restaurant and lots of pickerelweed grows there (Palamedes ST love to nectar on the stuff). I walked down there wanting to see if there was any bacopa (aka water hyssop) growing and sure enough there was! We use this at the museum for the White Peacocks, but we don't have a whole lot of it. Since I didn't want to take any from the museum, I took a good clump from the lake tonight and it had a big tuber on it and everything! I didn't have time to look for caterpillars but now I know bacopa grows there, I'm going to have to go back and check it out sometime. The White Peacock is my Dad's favorite butterfly and I've wanted to have a good host plant for them for a while.
Wow Melanie! Great pics!
Glad you started a new one for everyone's daily visits. I was out a bit myself past months.. Having my appendix out last fall, then one thing after another... So I am also relating to your surgery and recoup'.
Good find on the bacopia! I cant get it to grow for me, but I also haven't seen any WPs here yet either. Your Dad has good taste, they are really beautiful.
I will unload my camera tomorrow and see what I haven't posted. Been working in the garden most of the day today. Got a lot done, and I am ready to c-h-i-l-l~~
Criminy! It's been so hot and dry out here I haven't seen much in the way of butterflies. Drove out to the ranch today and all I saw of interest was this little bugger up in an oak tree in the back yard. The ranch dog was barking and circling the tree but I couldn't see a thing - took me a while to finally find the cause of the dog's ruckus! The dog has the attention span of a rock and it went back to sleep in the garage after it realized the 'human' is now aware of the 'possum up a tree.
Glad I have a camera with a telephoto lens!!! This was a wee little critter - a mere two or three inches big :o) Cute as a button but still a 'possum!!!
I went back outside to look for it a couple of hours later and couldn't find it...guess it finally crawled down the tree and hightailed in into the woods.
~ Cat
I haven't seen one that small before. Wonder where Momma was, I would think they should still be in the pouch at 3".
Nice pics Melanie. Tell me how is the male and female different? I guess I could look it up, but since you mentioned it..lol! I have moved my PV to a different location this year because it wasn't getting enough sun, but still don't want it in full sun. Hopefully it will rebound and grow better. I have had PVs in previous years but no eggs. Still hoping.
Today I FINALLY got a BST to lay eggs on my parsley. It may be because I had let the tree in that area get too full and it rarely has sun. Whatever the reason I am glad to see a female laying eggs!
I have seen Hackberry Emperors, Painted Ladies, Sulphurs and Question Marks in the last few days since it quit raining; no pics though. Never the less I am glad to finally have BST beginning again!
Great going on the BST Sheila! Mine are almost all pupated as of today.
I am wondering why you don't want to put your PV in the full sun.. Could it be because you really are in the forest, lol. Whereever did you move it to?
What a cute lil possum Cat!!
This week we had a couple fruitfeasters... Hackberry and Question Mark
And this lil lady.. Not ovipositing, but nectaring like there's no tomorrow. Maybe laid all her eggs at your house Sheila, and on the way here got nipped by something.. LOL!
This message was edited May 10, 2009 9:11 PM
I stepped out without my camera, and DH caught this guy sneaking in for a drink. Still no girls yet, but they are leaving their mark all over my yard. Hopefully just a matter of time to get some PVSt babies. I am loaded with A tomentosa. So much that the vine fell over a few days ago, and I have had blooms for 2 years now. Will be looking for the seedpods this week.
Fat little PV boy you have there Deb! I guess as far as putting the vine in the full sun, it looked so dainty and week. I planted the PV in the back right along the fence that gets afternoon sun /part sun. It has always been in the afternoon that I have seen the PV in my yard.
WOW Deb! A Question Mark! We don't get to see those until the fall season here. You're wanting PVS and I'm wanting Polydamas - go figure. We get the PVS by the hundreds out at the ranch! Have only seen one Poly in my yard and that was a couple of years ago.
I have several a. fimbriata seedlings that came up in the yard so I dug those up and put them in pots.
Also have way too many seedlings of a. elegans sprouting in one corner of the yard. Never had a butterfly make use of the a. elegans vine - and it was huge before I dug it up - so am not concerned with mowing the seedlings down!!! Seems the fallen seeds do sprout - and too well in my yard!!!
~ Cat
Orange Barred Sulphurs- well, the male has the orange bars across his forewings and orange at the junction of the hindwings. The female only has the orange on her hindwings, but she has black spots along the edges of the forewings and the bottom of the hindwings. Check out my pics in bugfiles: http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/6136/
Speaking of pics - Mom got an awesome one yesterday. So awesome she emailed it to me at work. Now, while I love the Zebra Swallowtails, I have a passion for the Red Spotted Purple. Maybe just because we're at the edge of their range and I've only ever seen one in Florida (and one in KY on vacation). Last fall, I had an old, raggedy one literally land on my front door. I planted a cherry tree and hoped for the best (I have oaks and hawthornes for backup). Then, Mom sends me this picture of a Red Spotted Purple, and tonight when I came home it was on the porterweed right in front of my car! I am on egg patrol every night now.
At the museum this weekend I was picking milkweed for the piggies (aka Monarchs) when I accidentally snuck up on a Spicebush ST who I think was puddling. I took several pictures before I thought I should really have a net with me. So I ran back to the lab, came back and captured the Spicebush and added it to the flight cage. I also managed to snag a Gulf Frit which is not easy; those suckers are fast! I was trying to add diversity for our Mother's Day high tea in the butterfly garden. Everyone noticed the Monarch population explosion and we had two couples "doing it' right in front of the guests! They all gasped when I grabbed a "couple" and was lecturing when they suddenly flew away. Who knew you could fly while having sex? I guess that means they belong to the mile high club, LOL!
I had a Pipevine ST eclose and let all the kids hold it on their finger while the moms took pictures. I also brought out a Monarch cat and a Polydamas so I could demonstrate stinkhorns. I also had a Monarch and a sulphur go into their chrysalis so I walked that around the room as well. They certainly got lots of education! One woman said she didn't have any cats on her milkweed so I took her over to ours and showed her how to find eggs and the small cats. I had a lot of fun educating people.
Favorite moment though was when I was talking to two couples. One of the men asked me if all the butterflies we had were indigenous to the area. The other man laughed and said, "Did your wife tell you to ask that? I know you wouldn't come up with that word on your own." But I was nice and said yes they are all native. Then I snickered.
I also saw my first Zebra Longwing at the museum this year (I saw one last month at USF). I was beginning to wonder where they all were. I tried netting one but it was flying too high. One of the guests saw me and asked if I was capturing escapees or recruiting.
As I was stalking butterflies through the garden I saw a Dainty Sulphur fly through. But then it stopped so I had to stop and look. And lo and behold the thing was laying eggs! I know I'm always saying that Spanish Needles are a host plant for the Dainty Sulphur but I never figured I would actually be able to spot any eggs. Oddly enough, this butterfly laid eggs on tiny plants that looked like the weedwhacker got them. Totally ignored the taller, bushier plants. I got four eggs but squished one on the way home. Here are the remaining three. They have that classic football shape and are yellow in color like most sulphur eggs. One has already hatched and if I can get a picture of the tiny little guy I'll post it.
Oh, my Kentucky Wonder beans are about as high as me so the Long Tailed Skippers finally showed up to lay eggs. I'm going to take them to the museum as I'm awash in caterpillars. Although, yesterday my Spicebush died (sniff, sniff). The Spicebush I found at the museum are doing well, though. Three in their chrysalis and the two eggs I found hatched. I've had one flying around my house this week but nothing yet on the bay tree.
My Checkered White cats are growing up. I have three in their chrysalis. Here's a picture of the cat when he was in his sling. I'll have to get a pic of the pupa soon.
It has now rained two days in a row! Let's hope our rainy season is starting early. I always tell people, "When the weeds start wilting you know you've got a problem."
Before the rain started tonight I got a picture of this Red-Banded Hairstreak. That reminds me that I need to go look for cats under my oak tree this weekend.
I was also looking for peppergrass for the whites and was searching through the weeds between my neighbor's house and the road. His side is full sun and my side is shaded by oaks so we tend to get different weeds. Instead, I found lots of little brown caterpillars on some kind of weed. I have all my books out and will thoroughly research what they are and what they were eating. I brought them inside to raise so at the very least I'll find out when they become whatever they're going to become. Look forward to it!
Melanie
Funny experiences at work...thanks for sharing the stories!
As for the sex of the Orange barred, I thought you were saying you could tell the sex of the cats. LOL!
we haven't gotten any of the rain at my place......sure hope so soon cause everything need a good drink ! got the "butterfly baths" out for the little winged ones.
caught this yesterday....
Melanie,
Congrats on finding those Dainty Sulphur eggs! It does so help when you catch the butterfly in the ovipositing act :o) I've seen them plenty of time laying eggs at the ranch but haven't figured out what the plant is that they use. I thought it was spanish needles but it doesn't look anything like your photo. Haven't made the time to dig up the plants and transplant them to my yard in the city so I can raise those butterflies...but perhaps later in the year once the weather cools off. Do wish it would rain!!!
~ Cat
Some of the host plants for DS are pretty gnarley!!
Great find Melanie!
Wikipedia says:
Spanish Needles, (Bidens bipinnata)
Beggar Ticks, (Bidens ssp.)
Dogweed, (Dyssodia ssp.)
Common Chickweed, (Stellaria media)
Greentread, (Thelosperma ssp
MaMoNA:
Caterpillar hosts: Low-growing plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) especially shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa), sneezeweed (Helenium), fetid marigold (Dyssodia), and cultivated marigold (Tagetes).
Humm,
I have one of these "sneezeweed (Helenium)" I get the Dainties here. Just got the plants a little over a month ago. I will have to check them for eggs or cats now. :-)
Thanks for the great plant list. I've seen them use a low growing ground hugging yellow daisy like plant. Will have to get photos next time and pay attention :o) Do hope to raise some of those this year along with some Reakirt Blues and Red Crescent Scrub Hairstreaks - so many plants...so little time!!!
~ Cat
Ok, if anyone wants to help ID the plant that my mystery cats are on you can check out the thread here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/989099/
While I was driving home I saw what looked like a Monarch near some willow trees so I thought I might have a Viceroy. I did a U turn in the middle of the road and looked but couldn't find anything. However, that got me in the mood for some caterpillar hunting so I stopped at the small preserve that I pass each day on the way home. I actually pass by two, but the one has trails and stuff.
Since I am confident in my ability to spot a cherry tree, I started looking at all of them. Lo and behold, I found two Red-Spotted Purple cats!! Then, I did my happy dance (which always involves the Cabbage Patch).
By the way, anyone wishing to raise Dainty Sulphurs should get a magnifying glass because I about went blind looking for them today. I still only found two out of three. And I overlooked the second one; I swear I looked that leaf over but he still eluded me!
Anyway, while I was looking at cherry trees I found a caterpillar that was so cool I had to take him home. According to my book, he's a White Furcula. I just call him awesome.
Finally, I spotted something clinging to the underside of a stick so I took a peek and found this crazy guy. I knew better than to touch him so I walked back to the car with him on a stick. He'd crawl to one end and then I'd transfer the stick to my other hand and he'd head back the other way (repeat ad infinitum). He managed to crawl on me a couple times but it was just his feet and not his spines so I think I'm ok. According to my book this guy is a Buck Moth. I gotta go back this weekend and take containers with me; carrying caterpillars is hard!
Melanie
Great cat hunt Melanie!! You have a gift to know how to spot them and live in a great state to have the varieties too. I think "awsome" is a perfect name. We look forward to seeing the pictures of their stages.
Melanie, great pics! And I'm really happy that you found RSP cats! I haven't seen any yet, but it's still early. I can't wait until one of the Texas Powdered Skippers emerges. Two of the cats died...of course, I have no idea why. Also waiting on two GST and of course, my two-tails. And also the Polyphemus Moth cocoons.
This message was edited May 16, 2009 10:55 AM
Okay, my mystery plant has been identified as Cutleaf Evening Primrose (Oenothera laciniata). The only thing that seems to host on it are Sphinx moths. If anyone knows of another caterpillar, let me know! In the meantime, I'll keep feeding these guys even though they haven't grown much in the last few days. Now, I'm off to weed the garden!
Melanie
Oh, my feet hurt. It's nice to be healthy again but my body is not used to working! Today was an excellent day for butterflies. I saw my first Giant ST of the year, but it was just flying through. Dad sees them all the time on his mail route in one particular area. Must be host plants there - need to investigate. The usual duskywings and Cassius Blues were doing their thing as well.
The Frits were flying around laying eggs and chasing everyone away from the porterweed. Of course, that was after they sucked the pentas dry!
The Monarch was out laying eggs again although I'm not sure how she managed to find a leaf that didn't already have an egg. Three of my cats made their chrysalis today, but Mom has already brought in three more. She was all excited to find one. "I saw a little hole in a leaf and when I flipped it over, there it was," she explained. I told her that was my method for finding the little guys, too.
Mom injured her eye and had to go to the ER last night. She was in a lot of pain; she thinks when she went out to get the mail something flew up from where my brother was mowing the lawn. Her eye was all bloodshot and her blood pressure was really high. I went to the pharmacy to get her prescription eyedrops and Vicodin so she's been doing better. She came outside for a few minutes (the sun hurts her eyes) because she wanted to see my brugmansia that's blooming right now (it's quite impressive). Fortunately, we were visited by a Spicebush while Mom was out there. I actually saw two of them at the same time so I seem to have a population going. Now when will they find my bay tree?
Despite my mandate for my brother to keep out of my flower beds, he weedwhacked my Spanish Needles. I was going to pull them today since they were going to seed but apparently my idiot brother got in some kind of hurry. He can't tell weeds from flowers and cut one of my Gerbera Daisies, arrrgh! i had some Tampa Verbena mixed in there too so I'm sure he cut that as well.
There are still a few of the Spanish Needles up front but the butterflies are now expanding their palate. Porterweed is still popular and one of my blue sages started blooming and attracting notice. My anise hyssop is seeing lots of action. But the one everyone loves (including Melanie) is Veronica spicata. I think the cultivar is "Sunny Border Blue". It was the first thing to recover from the frost and hasn't stopped blooming since, it's planted in full Florida sun next to our driveway, it's blue, and the insects love it! I've had those giant bumblebees on it lately and they're so heavy they bend the flower spikes right over!
The veronica was popular with the Buckeye today although in this picture he's on the plumbago because he's trying to escape the lunatic girl with the camera.
In fact, I was sitting in front of the veronica weeding around it when a new visitor popped in. Of course, reaching for my camera sent him scurrying over to the Spanish Needles (once again, do not underestimate the power of weeds). This is a Checkered Skipper; I see them from time to time in the garden but he's the first this year.
Now, I know I had three Dainty Sulphur eggs but I only ever seem to find two cats. Today, I managed to locate all three! I took a picture but these guys are TINY! You can see him just below the chewed up area. Thank goodness for frass or I would never be able to find them.
Melanie
This Zebra Swallowtail had me chasing all over the yard today.
I finally put the camera on rapid shoot and just hoped for the best...
another shot....a little blury
I don't have a PawPaw...so the yard is a "pass thru diner'........but I'm going to get a PawPaw !
sigh...........I guess it would help to include the picture !
Way to chase'em down MJS!! Wish I had those visit me.
Melanie...Praying for your Mom's eye to heal. She has to be on butterfly patrol while you are working! Got to get her where she can go out in the sun again.
Nice pictures you shared, especially the buckeye!
Ah...glad to see lots of butterfly photos :o) I haven't seen much out here aside from the usual suspects :o)
Melanie...criminy! That cat is tiny! Those whites and sulphurs can really blend in with the leaves...more so when they are tiny buggers!
Was out at the ranch and saw lots of bunnies and turtles...then came across a large rattler on one of the senderos! EEEEK!!!
Photo has been posted in the wildlife forum so as not to offend the sensibilities of the squeamish :o)
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6558278
~ Cat
I do believe it had just had dinner!! The pic you linked looks like it has a bow on it's head! LOL!
nice!
