Wow! that is amazing , and it does look like their seed was it.

I just caught up again. Beautiful flying things all over the place on last months thread as well as on this one! Thank you one & all for your posts. The birds nest fungus seeds..... I can relate to the entire story. Funny how that kind of stuff happens. The moth BAMONA couldn't ID. Ha, ha! Funny that.
The neonics on the big box store plants. I've heard other people say they found the tags stating there were neonics but like yours Charlotte, they were placed where you would almost never find them. It makes me want to scream, "We want FULL DISCLOSURE folks! Not some slight of hand trickster labeling!!!!!"

I was walking around the property yesterday & got so happy! Since we moved in and haven't been mowing except in the fall, I am now seeing lots of the native plants that should be here popping up. I saw quite a number of small native passiflora. They look to be popping up like little weeds. YAY!! AND, here's what I found on one of them. There were some itty bitty cats as well but I only got a photo of the big one. Did someone say Gulf Frits?



And of course we have nectar for the adults

These look wrong to be Army worms or Bagworms , Chewing on Foxtail Grass in the Penstemon these Cats are ..






About an inch and a Half long , About the size of Cabbage white Larvae only thinner
Looking at photo's very much like skipper larvae , only no exact match

Those are odd looking Jim.

I still do not know what it is , A skipper or a duskywing larvae it resembles closely , Most are western or southern and not here are the matches I have found
That I was watching them eat Foxtail Grass is the big clue ,

I realize Corn Borer uses Foxtail Grass as a Host plant , but these do not match that either , With such a prevalent strpe pattern , you would think they would be an easy identfy ,,

Thanks to Elaine for bringing this thread to my attention. Some of you guys take a look and see if you agree with me: The thread "Caterpillars? Eating everything" in Ask a Question forum

Melanie

See, this is why I have to stay in the safety of this forum. When the first answer to caterpillars is pesticide, I cringe. But I'm glad so many other members jumped in and said, "Wait! Get an ID first!"

I'm not totally organic or anything. I have wasp spray for the paper wasps and I have fire ant killer because those things freaking hurt! But I know what they are before I kill them. Moderation, folks. It does us well in most areas of life.

I'll have some pictures later, but it's been a rainy day here and nap time is calling. Thunder woke me up several times last night so Mother Nature owes me.

Well, I woke up for dinner, but then it was back to sleep. It's been such a perfect day for that. We had thunderstorms this morning, and I saw on the news where a house in Lutz got struck by lightning and caught fire! Didn't recognize where the street was but the name was Zamia which I liked because it's the genus for several cycads, including the native Coontie. Which is a host plant for the Atala Hairstreak. It always comes back to butterflies, somehow...

Well, in big news, I decided to quit volunteering at MOSI. Most of it is due to the move downtown. I know it will take a while, but I felt like I was on a sinking ship and had to jump off. I just can't watch it go down. I'll probably end up getting involved with something else eventually, but it's probably good not to do anything in the summer heat.

I did see my doc last week and she said my glucose numbers were "phenomenal". Don't have to see her until July and she said she expects my A1C number will be much lower. So it looks like you're going to have me around for a while. My therapist was happy to hear I'm making healthy lifestyle changes, too. What's good for the body is generally good for the mind.

But enough about me! So, yesterday I went to the movies and today it rained most of the day, so not a lot of butterfly action. But there's always something going on! When I got back from the movies, I watered in my new plants, and saw this cool moth on the patio screen. It's like the hangout spot for moths. I tried to take a super good photo so maybe BAMONA can ID this one.



I just blew it up on my screen and there's a lot of detail there. I'm assuming the BAMONA guys do that, too.

Okay, so most of my Checkered Whites have pupated, but there are still some caterpillars left. I promised them I would clean out their tank today. I was sitting on the bench in the front entryway and I was sorting Peppergrass into piles - one with a caterpillar or chrysalis, and one with nothing on it. And something caught my eye. Silly Gulf Fritillary pupated on my bench! I tried to peel the silk off and bring him in but he leaked a little. I hope he's still okay. I didn't realize how fresh he was. He looked dark enough that I thought he'd been there a while.



I would have left him there, but there are too many creatures that roam my front pavers. How he even managed to pupate is a miracle. You know we had a Cuban Frog get in our house the other day? Mom screamed as she was coming in the door. I thought she hurt herself, but it was a frog. Dad "handled" it. Then, I've got wasps building nests up above the entryway, and the anoles are constantly running around. We even have skinks living in the garage. Dad's wood shavings make nice nests, I think.

Oh, speaking of Dad, he had a guy over yesterday to pick up some wood. And the guy brought his wife. She was looking around and said, "This is a butterfly garden, isn't it?" I guess the hordes of Gulf Frits swooping down gave me away. She was checking out the cats on the passion vine, too.

Speaking of cats on the passion vine, I think I mentioned I would probably be bringing in those Zebra Longwing cats. I kind of had to, or at least move them, because a large bunch of them were on a tiny P. lutea that just popped up! They would have starved! Oh, I found another P. lutea in the lawn so I'm going to have to relocate that, too.

I found one Zebra Longwing that was molting! That's his old skin behind him and you can see the old head capsule still stuck to his new head.



More molting going on. The cat on the left has molted. His old skin is between them, and his head capsule is hanging on around the middle of his body. You can see how pale he is. Notice the spikes haven't turned black yet and his new head capsule is much paler than the old one. They'll darken in a few hours. The cat on the right hasn't molted yet, but you can see his head capsule has detached. Remember - never move a molting caterpillar. Well, just don't detach them from whatever they're on. In this case, I broke the stem they were sitting on.



Caterpillars found on the P. lutea. Oh, I also found one on a smaller P. lutea that I think is a Gulf Frit. But these are all Zebra Longwings.



Here's another guy that's in the process of molting. See how the head capsule is sitting really low on his body? That's because it has detached itself and the caterpillar is building a new one underneath. When he molts, he'll wave his head back and forth to dislodge the old one. That's how I can tell a caterpillar is about to molt. Thus, I know not to move them.



Sometimes you find a stupid caterpillar dangling in midair. They'll sometimes swing their way back onto the plant, or they'll let out more silk and lower themselves until they find something to land on. I took mercy on this guy and scooped him up. Had to put my hand in the back so the camera would focus.



Some of the cats I found on my P. suberosa.



Today's "crop".



Rain? Caterpillars don't care. Especially Gulf Frits. Nom, nom, nom...



Okay, I did take pictures of the Checkered Whites. So...back to them. Some of the chrysalises stayed green. Yes, this one broke his silk. I fixed him up. Well, I think I'm the one who broke it, but to be fair, he picked a bad spot on the lid. Also, Whites use the minimal amount of silk required to pupate. It's like they ration the stuff. Or they're lazy. Not like those industrious Monarchs that will silk every surface you give them.



But some chrysalises are the more white to brown color I'm used to seeing from the Great Southern Whites.



I don't know why, but these caterpillars look like they should be made of flannel. For some reason, I think of argyle socks. This is still a Checkered White.



And I found one that made his sling and is ready for pupation! You can see he has a friend that pupated right below him!



I haven't been able to get a picture of the little moths that hitchhiked in with the Whites, but here's one of their pupa. They make little mesh cocoons that I think are really cool.

Melanie as always wonderful shots! I am sorry to hear about MOSI but glad you are healthy and will be with us for a while

When the Greg's Mist Flower starts to bloom, the Queen butterflies arrive in droves.

So last week when I was gardening really hard, I came inside, got a glass of Peach Lemonade, and brought it and the bottle over to the table. I looked and Mom and said, "This is one of those days when you need the whole bottle." She doesn't laugh so I have to ask if she even gets what I'm talking about. (Mom is adorably naive sometimes.) So I explain how it's like in a bar when the bartender pours a shot and you tell him to leave the bottle. I told her even she had to have seen that in like, every Western ever made. I hate having to explain my jokes.

Well, today I've declared it a Fritillary Frenzy. FYI, we had that front come through and it rained buckets yesterday. I saw on the news where Sarasota was really flooded. But it's quite a bit cooler today and there's a nice breeze. By cooler, I mean it's 80 instead of 88. But I wanted to point out that the day after a rainy day is usually really good for butterflying. You have to figure they're all hungry from having to fast the day before, so they all tend to come out and eat. A lot. So keep that in mind next time you have a rainy day.

Let's just start with the Frit pictures. Apparently, the buds must taste pretty good.



This female was laying eggs. Checkout the second and third picture. You can see the egg emerge in the third. It's that yellow thing.



For those who are new to the thread, you need to know about my magic red pentas. You see, last year I planted pink, purple, and red pentas. I don't do white. And all year long, the butterflies overwhelmingly chose the red ones. Like, to the point where it was ridiculous. So I started referring to them as my magic red pentas because I figured the nectar must be magical. So far this year, the other colors are winning! And these are the exact same plants as last year. I only lost a couple.



Frits (and most butterflies) are also big fans of porterweed.



Back to the pentas...



Some Frit flirting going on...



One nice thing about cooler, windy days is that butterflies will stop and bask in the sun for a while. And that's usually good for some photo ops.



And now for the caterpillar portion of today's post.











I took the one that was in its J and brought it inside to pupate.



Next up - the post for everything that wasn't a Frit!

Contrary to the evidence, there are other butterflies besides Gulf Frits in my yard. And the neighbors' yards. But mostly my yard.

Check out the pollen this Zebra Longwing has gathered on its proboscis. Remember, they secrete an enzyme that liquefies the pollen, allowing them to slurp it up and eat it. Due to this added nutrition, they can live 6-9 months!



I missed a few Zebra Longwing cats yesterday. Always recheck your host plants because you will miss some. Don't ask me where they were yesterday, but here they are. I brought them inside with the other hostages.



Dainty Sulphur



I saw something odd and I realized this bug had caught a Dainty Sulphur! Janet identified it as a Robber Fly over on the Bug ID forum. It robbed me of my butterfly!



Back to happy stuff...Frogfruit is a host plant for the Phaon Crescent and the White Peacock. It's also a good nectar plant for the little guys like this Cassius Blue.



But like everyone else, they like Spanish Needles, too.



Same with this Skipper. Look at its proboscis in mid-curl!



Duskywings love Spanish Needles, but they also like Tassel Flower, which can usually be found growing nearby.



You can't see it, but this is one of the Underwing Moths. I saw it fly and the reddish-orange underneath was really clear.



I was bemoaning the lack of Swallowtails when...Spicebush! This is a male so no hope of eggs today.



I just like this angle.



The Jatropha is a big attractor, too. Zebra Longwings kind of love it.



Skipper basking on the hose.



Here's my caterpillar haul for the day. I got an egg in there, too.



The problem with removing the caterpillars is you get egg bombed almost immediately.



Not sure which Skipper this is. Going to test those BAMONA guys again.



Monarch, you're a little heavy for Tassel Flower.



My Salvias don't get as much action as I'd like, but today I did see a Gulf Frit on 'Amistad' which I just planted a few weeks ago. Then, I saw this Skipper on 'Mystic Spires'. That one attracts all kinds of bees so I leave it, but it was nice to see a butterfly on it.



I saw the Giant Swallowtail go by a few times and walked around trying to get a picture. I told Dad that I think butterflies are God's way of getting me to exercise. He said it was working. Well, Giant ST finally came back for a few seconds to hit up our plumbago and I got some pics. Because the rule of the internet says, "Pics or it didn't happen!"

Still seeing Red Admirals , Saw a Yellow Eastern Swallowtail again today ,

An Amorpha Shrub sprout , (Host Silver Spotted Skipper ?)




I do not have many blooms so the butterflies are doing some Fly by looking

Yay, Jim! I have an Amorpha fruticosa. It hosts the Dogface Sulphur and the Silver-Spotted Skipper. I've had the Skippers a few times, but I'm really at the bottom of their range so I feel lucky when I do get them. It's weird, because when I go to WV they're super common. But that's why it's fun to travel! Or virtually travel, like we do on here.

Back in the early 2000's I had 100's of them here at the same time , (Silver Spotted Skipper)
That was a story about mom telling us someone had been painting the butterflies ,, My avatar presently , last years SSS ,,

Sometimes I have had that many of a few butterflies ,only rarely that happens , I am trying to start and replace a few host plants ,
Slide show travels here

My weed patch ,, Burdock , Milkweed . Aster , several hosts
yep ,, weeds ,

Melanie , I am trying to start some Senna .. have some Alfalfa growing , Get the Orange barred Sulpher , and waiting to see sleepy sulpher . Everything is slow to start ,the little plants ,

I cannot spray any herbicides or anything , the Red Admirl on the Dandelion would be gone , and while not really attracive spraying the grass is a skipper massacre .
Trying to make host plants garden pretty can be difficult at best . But i keep trying ,
Still to cold for the fennel and dill here ,
i have not seen a Cabbage White all week , that is very unusual ,,

I didn't have my phone with me, but saw a yellow swallow tail today with my five year old son

Sounds like you have quite the butterfly oasis at your place, Jim! I always tell people host plants are more important than nectar plants. Host plants are what keeps the butterflies coming back!

I think we have to redefine our notions of what makes a garden pretty. I look at my neighbors and I want to scream at all their lawn with maybe a few crotons, hibiscus, palms, etc. Then, I look at my yard and while I haven't eradicated the lawn yet, I certainly have quite a diverse selection of native plants. And did I mention all the butterflies flying around? To me, that is the most beautiful thing. I was thinking today I need to buy a new bench or something I can place near the butterfly garden so I can sit there and just watch them.

My biggest vistor because of cover habitat is the toads ,, Gray Toads ,Red Toads , Chameleon Toads , etc bunches ,, That and i live in a Red Toad Breeding habitat (NWF) source

Part of the Garden for Wildlife is like looking at a field or pasture (remember those) Maybe an empty lot would be a better example
The earth does it's own gardening for a reason ,? The only problem is Cities and Rodents , Which most and all have ,, But , when laws and regulations are urban reasoned and apply to all everywhere , questions are there ,,

You being in Florida would be more aware of such as when grass cutting rules were made in most of the US , We had ,, North American Brown Cobra , Giant Tarantula , And Another common species of Giant Spider Tarantua Class ,, The reasoning of that with species invasive of human error you and Florida would be much more aware of ,
However in most of this country those have been a long time extinct , two of them since the 1950's ,

as for some things in enjoyment I miss seeing a few of the creatures and butterflies that are extinct now , (not the Cobra or giant Tarantula)
The nature control thing , is a losing demand ,, it happens as it will ,
only I don't like exterminationist or erradication demands ,, about anything ,,