Beautiful butterfly photos, Melanie. Whatcha gonna do with all them pawpaws?

Make a pie, I suppose?

I plead the Fifth.

paw paw pudding ?

Cat said it weren't me me that stole that pie ,, paw ,, paw ,,

frit (meadow , tiny ,,
Red Admiral
Cabbage White , all returned today ,, and getting a photo of them , well , a Mars Vacation has been more likely ,,

oh , and Melanie , I remember that song ,

mellielong said:Picking up the Pawpaws, puttin' them in my pocket, way down yonder in the Pawpaw patch!



That's a real song, by the way. Learned a lot of old folk tunes in school, but had to Google that one. That's why it's good to have a Grandma around, too. And Dad made the cutting board they're sitting on.

Those are edible? Look green. The ones we have would make you ill if you eat them that green.

Around here, we sang

Pickin up Paw Paw
Put em in a basket..

I've never seen them turn the color of the A. triloba fruit. But I don't plan on eating them. The song seems to vary between "pocket" and "basket", but I like the alliteration when you use "pocket".

Thought my little Spicebush friend might have died on me today. He looked like he had molted, but hadn't shed the full skin. His head capsule was gone so that was good, but seeing as how they shed their skin before they remove the old head capsule, I knew something was wrong. I took a mechanical pencil and touched it to the old skin to drag it off. Dragged the caterpillar around a little, too. I am not a caterpillar surgeon! I wasn't sure he was going to be all right even after I got the skin off, but he's sitting on the leaf, looks okay, and I think he's even eaten a little. Plus, that was like 12 hours ago and he would have been dead by now if he was going to die. Caterpillars are high maintenance pets - don't let anyone tell you different!

Only 1 per pocket (A. triloba).

Dog gone it, I lost this thread again and it took me quite some time to read through so many posts...phew!!! Great stuff everyone!

Came riding in on my shirt at lunch time , thought it was a big spider , then a leaf ,, darned if it ain't an old moth ,

My guess is the Giant Sphinx ,
it is a large one , not the biggest though

Ooh, Jim! That's pretty! It reminds me of the size and shape of an Abbott's Sphinx Moth I saw once in WV, but those are plain black. This one is much prettier! Such complex colors. Good find!

Melanie , and Thank you ,, it is an older moth , I would believe when those colors were brighter ,it was a glorious look in it's mating colors .
as is the camera picked up what was left of the color ,

And there is . hey !!! I got a picture of something

Gorgeous Moth Jim!!

Melanie, once again I need your expertise!
The first photo is an unidentified caterpillar. Any clue?
Second photo is an American Lady obviously depositing an egg on an unidentified weed. Do you know what the plant might be?
Thanks for your help!

I never really thought of Hardy Tapioca as a nectar source. Obviously I should have. Yay!

Here's a moth spending the day clinging to the ceiling of our front porch:


Anybody have a guess as to what it is?

I don't remember the name , but I have a similar here later in the year , That stripe is the big identifier , That I do remember , Might be in the data base here ,

http://www.butterfliesandmoths...

Hem , try this for the Moth

Charlotte, with those blue spots, the caterpillar reminds be of a Buckeye. I don't know the Latin names, but Painted Ladies use a plant called Sweet Everlasting. I think Linda (also in TX) took a picture not to long ago of a similar plant being used by Painted Ladies.

Back soon - have to go to an appointment...