August 2014 Butterflies, Moths & Larva in the Gardening for Butterflies, Birds and Bees forum

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Gleni

Aug 10, 2014 8:39 PM CST

Name: Glen Ingram
Macleay Is, Qld, Australia (Zone 12a)
(Lee Reinke X Rose F Kennedy) X Unk

Wow Melanie!!

The problem is that when you are young your life it is ruined by your parents. When you are older it is ruined by your children.

| @Gleni | Post #678123 (1)

Catmint20906

Aug 10, 2014 9:01 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Saw this guy at a nursery today. I'm assuming it's a Fritillary of some kind. Anyone know which kind?

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Happy Star')
Uploaded by Catmint20906

The Echinacea 'Magnus' and White Echinacea seemed particularly popular with the visiting pollinators, so in my cart they went!

Also found this tiny Skipper on my Mentha spicata blooms:

It's so small, I'm wondering if it's a Least Skipper?

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678149 (2)

mellielong

Aug 10, 2014 10:08 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

Where are the other Mid-Atlantic people when you need them? I only get two kinds of Fritillaries down here - Gulf and Variegated. I've seen a Great Spangled Fritillary before that kind of looks like your picture but they are all so similar I don't know how anyone tells the difference!

Can't say I'm at all familiar with that skipper. At first, I thought it was a moth although the antenna look like a butterfly's. Skippers so rarely open their wings like that it can be confusing when you are used to only seeing their sides.

And remember folks, if you absolutely have to know... www.butterfliesandmoths.org is there for you.

| @mellielong | Post #678169 (3)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 4:42 AM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Great Spangled looks like it's probably right--thanks, Melanie.

I was thinking it was one of the spread-winged skippers (subfamily Pyrginae), which bask with their wings spread open.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678211 (4)

Last edited by Catmint20906 Aug 11, 2014 5:08 AM

TennesseeDave

Aug 11, 2014 7:05 AM CST

Name: Dave
Dayton, TN (Zone 7a)
Blessed beyond all merit.

It is a Great Spangled

| @TennesseeDave | Post #678275 (5)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 11:40 AM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Thanks for the ID TennesseeDave!

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678439 (6)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 6:00 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

It seems the tiny Lepidoptera on my Mentha spicata is Pyrausta orphisalis, Orange Mint Moth!

Found a 2nd BST cat on my parsley today! Brought him inside too where he joined the first one in the mason jar.

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678652 (7)

mellielong

Aug 11, 2014 6:06 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

Ha! I thought it was a moth! I was actually going to ask you if I could submit it to BAMONA because I kept thinking about it and it was driving me crazy. Well, crazier anyway. That's a cool-looking moth, though. I'm going to go read up on it.

| @mellielong | Post #678659 (8)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 6:25 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Let me know what you're able to find out, Melanie! I looked it up on HOSTS and turns out that Mentha species are a larval host plant for it, so I'm going to have to look for eggs and tiny caterpillars now! Wasn't able to find any indication that it's particularly destructive--hopefully just feeds on its host plant and then flies around looking pretty. ;-)

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678684 (9)

mellielong

Aug 11, 2014 6:31 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

I Googled it and there were a lot of pictures and info. It says the moth has a wingspan of 17 mm so I was just sitting here telling my parents I would hate to look for the caterpillars. They must be microscopic! I can't imagine they would do much damage to a plant, but I guess that depends on how many eggs it laid. Plus, you may have a male that was just patrolling for females so maybe no eggs at all.

I have Cassius Blues on my plumbagos literally all the time and they are a small butterfly with small caterpillars. I raised them once and almost became permanently cross-eyed.

I never see any damage to the plants so I imagine this moth is similar. Too small to make much of an impact.

| @mellielong | Post #678692 (10)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 6:51 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Yeah, you're probably right they would be pretty tiny--don't want to become even more cross-eyed than I already am!

And of course it could have been a male there peeking out over the blossom, hanging out and waiting for a lovely female Orange Mint Moth to come fluttering by.

Cassius Blues!! Sure wish we got those up here--so pretty.

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678719 (11)

mellielong

Aug 11, 2014 7:40 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

Don't you get Eastern Tailed Blues up there? We don't get them but I've seen them in Grandma's yard in WV. She had a Spring Azure one time when I visited earlier in the year. They're kind of cool, too. I think it's fun to see different butterflies than the same old ones I'm used to and I guess other people feel the same when they come visit here.

| @mellielong | Post #678767 (12)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 8:04 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Good point Melanie-- we definitely get Eastern Tailed Blues and Spring Azures up here, and I've seen many in my own backyard!

That would be fun--to travel around to different places and enjoy the different butterflies they have!

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678777 (13)

mellielong

Aug 11, 2014 8:54 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

My volunteer trainee is visiting her native Costa Rica for two weeks and I'm hoping she brings back pictures of butterflies!

| @mellielong | Post #678817 (14)

Catmint20906

Aug 11, 2014 8:55 PM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)

Which you will share with us, right?

"One of the pleasures of being a gardener comes from the enjoyment you get looking at other people's yards”
― Thalassa Cruso

| @Catmint20906 | Post #678818 (15)

mellielong

Aug 11, 2014 8:59 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Melanie
Lutz, Florida (Zone 9b)

If I can! We are Facebook friends but she doesn't post much on Facebook. I might have to take pictures of her pictures which is what I have to do with all my Grandma's photos for genealogy purposes. Easier than carrying around a scanner.

| @mellielong | Post #678819 (16)

Catmint20906

Aug 12, 2014 7:16 AM CST

Name: Catmint/Robin
PNW WA half hour south of Olym (Zone 8a)