gardenfish said:I really don't know, either, maybe some kind of disease?
I lost several large BST cats to spiders las summer, notably Black Widow spiders. Some just disappeared, birds or other predators, I guess. I'm still not bringing inside, though. They were outside for years before we took an interest in them. As far as I know, BSTs aren't in dangerous going extinct like the Monarchs are.
Now if I were raising Monarchs I would probably get them some kind of tent enclosure.

Maybe so? It's so hard to figure out what goes wrong sometimes.

I lost a number of monarchs this year too. I had one chrysalis and it just up and disappeared one day.

Hey everyone, the photo contest is on again! Yaay!

https://garden.org/newswire/vi...

With the temperature a balmy 79 degrees, the march of the Monarchs continues. Today's main attraction was the durantas.






One curious flyer even decided to check out a cactus pad!



Greg's Mist Flower continues to see a lot of action from an American Lady, Monarchs and Queens.








An unidentified sulphur seemed to prefer the salvia,



and so did a skipper,



while a red admiral was content to sit in the weeds.



And I have no idea what this little fellow is, but isn't he cute???



Summer is coming to a close, and the flowers and some butterflies seem to be at the end of their glory. But I'm already looking forward to next spring!



Then it will all begin again.

Please forgive the OT post, I just wanted to point to a new thread just started with Dave's blessings. Please do post something there if you like! Especially if it pertains to butterflies, moths and larva and how to raise them.

The thread "Not My Idea!" in All Things Gardening forum

Of course, all of your original ideas should still go into the Gardening Ideas Forum

still warm enough here for at least one caterpillar, saw a little yellow sulphur out there flying around too today.

Western pygmy blue. I had a blurry snap of one awhile back; this visitor today was more cooperative. Pretty little thing, about 3/4" at most.

Very pretty. Great shots! Those really are such pretty little butterflies. I love the edges of their wings they look kind of fringed.

Ann, I wondered too — turns out that really is fringe


Other fun fact: smallest butterfly in North America.

https://thenaturecollective.or...

not quite as pretty or colorful as your Western pygmy blue Zoe, but a few of my closest clearest shots of eastern tailed blues from 2019
they are small but fun to watch sipping wet spots on the patio and flying around the clover.

sept 2019



july 21 2019

Exquisite photos, Kurt! Not only fringed wings, but sweet little projections...do those have a name?

Very nice photos, Zoe and Kurt. Those "littles" can be hard to capture!

NMoasis said:Exquisite photos, Kurt! Not only fringed wings, but sweet little projections...do those have a name?

I believe those are actually called tails.

Those are the ones we have here & it's (at least I find) danged impossible to catch them with their wings open & still so you can get a picture of the blue upper wings. Whenever they are nectaring, they have those wings closed tight. They just flit around teasing you with that blue! Many times I have been seen running around after one hither & thither trying to get a good look at those open wings.

eastern tailed blues

Fantastic photos, Kurt. That little guy looks like he has fur all over his wings. Makes me want to reach out and touch them. So pretty!

Ha, Kurt, I wondered after I posted if my wording was unclear and you'd think I hadn't read your post closely...yup. Ann understood the question: the little tails are called...tails

OMG, I am so far behind, what beautiful butterfly and bee shots, Kurt, Zoe, G.Char, Peggy, John, Ceci and Ann, hopefully I didn't miss anyone. C. Char, your pictures are truly breath-taking, put those in the photo contest. Zoe, Marley is beautiful.

We've been doing some back to back trips, some in Florida, but still not near the amount of butterflies I normally see, not sure why, it bothers me. Even Silver Springs in Ocala, this time last year I saw so many on my hikes, lots of wildflowers in October, but this year, hardly any at all.

This butterfly came today to my garden.
Common name in Argentina: "borde de oro". Battus polydamas

ceci said:



This butterfly came today to my garden.
Common name in Argentina: "borde de oro". Battus polydamas

@ceci, I always love your photos. They keep me warm during our cold months.

Thank you Joanna !!

A longtailed skipper, this is from late Sept. but I just finally downloaded to my computer.