I have been so productive this week, it's eerie. Mostly online and over the phone stuff, but I'm rather proud of myself for getting stuff done. Okay, I told the bird thread first this time, but now I'm telling you guys. (Trying to keep it fair.) One thing I did was Mom and I put down a deposit on a trip to Iceland! It will be the first week of August and we will be circumnavigating the island in a really posh ship. It's another trip associated with my alma mater, UPenn. There are more birds than butterflies I think, in Iceland, which is another reason I told the bird thread first. I even went and bought luggage today! Tumi Outlet store - nice stuff.
I'm going to use all my new toys this week on my trip to Silver Springs. It's like a test run. While I'm gone, the caterpillars will go to MOSI, but I think Dad can handle releasing the butterflies. And wouldn't you know that most of those Giant ST eggs hatched? It figures. Well, at least I know MOSI has a large Wild Lime to feed them.
In the meantime, it's still me releasing butterflies. Lately, it's more Black Swallowtails. In fact, I had a male Thursday and a female yesterday and today, so let's compare!
This is the male. Way more yellow. Released before I went to Selby (we'll see those pics in a minute).
Contrast with the female who has less yellow, more blue. But both have the distinctive black dot inside reddish-orange circle that I call the "bullseye". It is an eyespot, anyway.
Speaking of that spot, the female I released today had the smallest black spot inside the orange that I have ever seen. I had to do a double-take and look at her real close. Never seen one like this before.
Now, to catch up! I overheated at Selby so I didn't get to spend as much time there as I normally would. Plus, I was doing favors for two folks. I stopped at the Selby Library (part of Sarasota's Library system and not part of the gardens) to do a lookup for a genealogy friend. Then, my boss at MOSI wanted me to pick up a rare Fanged Pitcher Plant from Selby Gardens. That was actually pretty fun.
In news I know you'll like, I saw plenty of Monarchs at Selby. Not so many caterpillars, although I did see some eggs. Most of their milkweeds were eaten pretty good.
I saw some Mangrove Skippers flying around but couldn't get pictures of them this time. I even walked by the Mangroves looking for caterpillars but no luck. This little Skipper (Fiery? Whirlabout?) sat for me, though.
Here's another Monarch on the red porterweed which I do not recommend as it is not native. And porterweed can get a little aggressive.
I was trying to take a picture of a Polydamas, which is always a futile effort, when Mom started bugging me about what was on the purple porterweed. I looked down, annoyed, and said, "Monk!"
My one futile picture of a Polydamas.
Selby has a caterpillar house where they raise the caterpillars and I thought you guys would want to see it. They raise several kinds in there together which I don't recommend, but to each his own.
The area where I spotted the Mangrove Skippers last year was a patch of Red Pentas. Maybe they are magic?
But this time all I found was a Spicebush ST.
So this morning I go out to get some Rue for the lone Black Swallowtail cat. And I see a Pipevine ST sitting on evil, invasive skunk vine that's growing through my Pipevine. I'm trying to figure out if she's laying eggs or basking when she takes off - into the Spanish Moss. I always think it's weird to see butterflies hanging in this stuff. I guess they don't weigh that much, but I can't see it being a good perch. Later, she did decide to start laying eggs, but I had to go inside because it was hot and I was hungry. I did collect eggs today and I'm sure I'll collect more tomorrow.
In fact, I was holding the Rue and the eggs I gathered in one hand so it was hard to take photos when the Giant ST came flying in. FYI, they seem to like all the colors of Pentas. At least this year. Last year the red really dominated.
< maybe a 'tussick something or the other?'
< no idea
Glad you saw them instead of feeling them.
caterpillars to go yet plus the one in a "J" shape inside the hamper on the third photo. One was found wild yesterday at the "waste place" I talked about in multi-pic photo I posted.
