We've had a lot of Monarch's around this month and Gulf Fritillaries for the past two months. This morning my husband was standing in the kitchen and called me to come see the huge butterfly outside the window. I looked out and was so happy to see a Swallowtail; I grabbed my camera and went out to get a few photo's. I had to look in my Florida B'fly book to figure out if it was the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail or the Giant Swallowtail because I always have trouble remembering which is which; it was a Giant Swallowtail which I haven't seen in a long time!

Giant Swallowtail:

Excellent Lin!

Thank you!

Gorgeous, Lin! We've been seeing those once in a while. Their caterpillars, too...found one yesterday, but haven't gotten around to taking a pic. This is the Queen butterfly that just emerged from the chrysallis yesterday. It's a female...am hoping it can find a mate. Yesterday when we went into the city, we saw a few butterflies flying. I only saw them at a distance, so can't be sure, but I think maybe they were Queens! I was surprised to see some Red Admiral caterpillars happily wrapped up in leaf nests in my stinging nettle this week. Also some Black Swallowtail caterpillars were found on Bronze Fennel.

Linda: That Queen is really beautiful; I rarely see those and I sure hope she finds a mate too. Love the Caterpillars ... you did good!

I found this cat today being parasitized. I forget what the cat is & don't know what the eggs are of. I found another that had succumbed to the eggs as it was a grey mess.

Ann, that looks like some type of hornworm to me.

I would LOVE to see a Queen some day!!

Lin, congrats on the lovely GST. I have not seen one of those the last 2 years here.

Those are probably the cocoons of the Braconid Wasps. They parasitize different kinds of hornworm species.

Cool! The good guys are at work.

I've been amazed looking at your photos. They are all beautiful. But my attention was caught by some butterflies that I have never seen where I live. They are the Black swallowtail (it is beautiful !!!!!!!) the Zebra swallowtail, the Red Banded Hairstread and the Queen butterfly !! You really have a lot of beauties in your gardens !
We have a butterfly here somewhat similar to your swallowtails. It is Papilio thoas. I don't know the English common name. We call it "mariposa del naranjo", it is something like "the orange tree butterfly", because the orange tree is the host plant .

LindaTX8 said:Those are probably the cocoons of the Braconid Wasps. They parasitize different kinds of hornworm species.

I agree, definitely the cocoons of the Braconid Wasp: http://www.google.com/search?q...

Cecilia: Papilio thoas is the Thaos Swallowtail or King Swallowtail ... a real beauty! It is found in some areas of North America; scroll down this page to the map:

http://www.butterfliesandmoths...

http://en.butterflycorner.net/...

http://butterfliesofamerica.co...

Thank you, Lin !!

That is a beautiful swallowtail Cece!!!!! We may have the monarchs but you have the kings!

And remember you showed us that stunning humming bird that is in your country.

Beautiful! Looks like maybe an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?

A visitor to the shade garden this morning.

HOO-RAY Dave!