Hi everyone! This is the 2023 Butterflies, Moths and Larva thread! Can't wait to see all your beautiful pictures, and to learn from you all. Happy you're here!

I don't have a butterfly 🦋 photo yet but happy to follow this thread! This was last year.

Looks like an illustration from a book 👍

Nice surprise today, saw this Giant Silk Moth when I took a walk around my backyard this morning.

CBJoyce said: Nice surprise today, saw this Giant Silk Moth when I took a walk around my backyard this morning.

Oh, WOW! That's gorgeous!

joannakat said: Oh, WOW! That's gorgeous!

I've been plucking Oleander caterpillars from my adeniums. They can defoliate an entire Adenium fast.




And will even eat the seedpods!

Gigi, I find the Oleander cats on my desert roses from time to time..the moths are pretty though.

I took these Nov. 29th but just now finally downloaded to my computer.

Yes the moths are beautiful but those hungry caterpillars can easily defoliate a good sized desert rose.

Wow Gigi, that's a lot of caterpillars on your desert rose. So far, I haven't seen any on mine. Hopefully, I never will.

CBJoyce said: Wow Gigi, that's a lot of caterpillars on your desert rose. So far, I haven't seen any on mine. Hopefully, I never will.

I hope so too, once they know your adeniums exist they will keep coming back to lay eggs / caterpillars.

I was outdoors picking up my tropical plants and bringing them into a warm place for a couple of days when I looked in my butterfly cage and there were TWO black swallowtails!!!! It's 52 degrees at the moment and will get down to the upper 30's tonight. We did have a warm spell a couple of days ago so I guess that's what triggered them to emerge. What to do? If they remained outdoors I thought they were doomed so I brought the cage in and put the only plant we have with flowers in the cage. I hope I did the right thing. The temperature will go up to 70 on Tuesday so I plan to let them loose then. Let me know what you think. Thanks
Anole

John, they are so beautiful!

Try putting a very clean sponge or nylon pot scrubber in a bowl of sugar water, the same mixture you would use for a hummingbird feeder (10% sugar, 90% water). If you can keep them in a sunny window, it's probably best.

The top of the sponge / scrubber should not be submerged.

It's best if the sponge or scrubber is green or an attractive flower color. It's best if the bowl is a tight fit to the sponge or scrubber.

If you use this for over two days, clean it out and refill with new sugar water.

Good luck!

Thanks Joanna, will keep you posted.

Anole

"Borde de Oro" (Battus polydamas )

Well it won't be long now......another monarch will soon be born, or hatched?...

Everything that I have read says they emerge from their chrysalis.
Exciting to see.

Not born, not hatched......emerged.....ok, sounds right to me...

Zeta, Joyce, I learned the word "eclosed" from Joannakat and Kurt which refers to when a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. I like emerge or hatch but the proper word I think is eclosed. Thanks again to Joannakat and Kurt. Please correct me if I am using the word incorrectly.

Anole

anole said: Zeta, Joyce, I learned the word "eclosed" from Joannakat and Kurt which refers to when a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. I like emerge or hatch but the proper word I think is eclosed. Thanks again to Joannakat and Kurt. Please correct me if I am using the word incorrectly.

Anole

I do understand, i wus born in new orleans, the creole language is familiar to me.

anole said: Zeta, Joyce, I learned the word "eclosed" from Joannakat and Kurt which refers to when a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis. I like emerge or hatch but the proper word I think is eclosed. Thanks again to Joannakat and Kurt. Please correct me if I am using the word incorrectly.

Anole

I think you're using it correctly. I learned it from someone here, but I don't remember who it was. But it was definitely one of us!