We came from here:
The thread "December 2016 Butterflies, Moths & Larva" in
Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum
I can't be the only who's happy this year is over. Let's hope 2017 is a peaceful year that brings us many happy returns to our gardens. Maybe you'll see a new species this year. Maybe you'll plant some new host plants to attract new species. Maybe you'll try raising caterpillars for the first time. Whatever you do, we're here to talk about it!
I know it's a slow time right now, but we're always happy to help you with planning your butterfly garden. So as those catalogs come rolling in, feel free to discuss what you plan to add or just ask us what plants "really" work to bring in the butterflies.
It's extra warm here in Florida which is bumming me out. Even Floridians need a break and this is supposed to be our time of year to enjoy the weather! It has been good for the butterflies, though. Here's a Skipper (I think Fiery Skipper) on my Dune Sunflower.
Still plenty of Long-Tailed Skippers at the Long household.
Some of that may be due to my lack of weeding. I found Desmodium (a host plant of theirs) growing in some new places. And how pretty is the one basking on Mom's bougainvillea (it's hers because she picked out that color)?
The New Year is often depicted as a baby, so let's look at some baby butterflies! (We also call them caterpillars.)
Since I had the LASIK, I kind of wanted to test myself to see if I could still find them. Caterpillars better watch out because Melanie sees all!!! I found four Sulphur cats which is good because the last of the four Sulphur cats I have in my room made its sling yesterday. So it was time for a new crop.
Sorry the second one is blurry (but notice the egg on the tip of the leaf). I miss my camera!
Saw a Sulphur flying around the backyard and I thought it was a Barred Sulphur, but on closer look, it was a Dainty Sulphur! Those two black dots, and the different shape are a big giveaway.
A lady from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program runs a Facebook page called "Be Floridian". They encourage things like planting native and using less fertilizer. She got into butterfly gardening pretty recently and was posting the other day about how this warm weather was causing her to see all these Gulf Fritillaries. I mentioned how I was seeing a lot of Zebra Longwings, which is more unusual. Gulf Frits are always here. I saw both today, but the Zebra was being a jerk and wouldn't pose.
The Gulf Frit was more accommodating.
It's still January, right? Not that you can tell by the weather. My neighbors got to hear me yelling things like, "There's your proof of global warming!" 
-14 F overnight, all the way up to 0 F now, we have lots of snow.
that was taken from my living room window. 
