I just found my first cat of this year! I must say, I haven't even seen a Variegated Fritillary butterfly so far this year. And I've never seen the cats this soon. And confused? I'm confused because a VF cat, not even a small one, appeared in March on a Lace Cactus plant! Maybe it was confused as well? Kind of prickly, that plant. Well, I put the cat in a container on a piece of flax plant from my yard, but it doesn't seem interested so far, it left the plant to wander around the container. Well, there's usually another flax, Rock Flax, that grows not too far from there the area I found it...may have come from one of those. I found a good link to info about its life cycle here:
http://www.reige.net/nature/va...
Will try to get a pic of the cat tomorrow!

Good photo site you shared.

Have you tried putting it on the Nodding Green Violet? They use that out here.

~ Cat

And here's my cat! The Nodding Green Violet is just coming back after the freezes we had this winter, but I put one sprig in there along with some Rock Flax. The cat spends most of its time off the food, but it does eat.

Looks good!!! Do you have a photo of the flax you are using? Is it native - I'd like to see what it looks like to see if any grows wild out in the back fields. So many wild flowers and weeds and so little time and guide books to identify them :o)

~ Cat

This is the Rock Flax that those butterflies seem to like.

Thanks! I've have to check if that grows wild out here.

I've been meaning to post this pic of the VF chrysallis!

The VF has the prettiest chrysalis I've seen of all the butterflies I've raised. They remind me of hitting the jackpot - with gold, copper and mother of pearl coloring!!!

~ Cat

My first raised butterfly this year! VF...just before it took off to start its new life!

Congrats Linda! It is a real beauty!

Thanks! Of the 4 eggs I have from my Hop Tree, the first definitely did not hatch. One of the others, one hatched and I think it's a two-tailed tiger cat!

Way cool on the two-tailed tiger cat!

I found several VF cats on the native nodding green violet at the ranch today. Left them there.

Read on our local butterfly server that several Dark Kite Swallowtails and a Cattleheart Swallowtail were seen at Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge today. I really need to make time to drive out there. I need to get photos of those!

~ Cat