Thanks all for the id on the Ocola Skipper. I noticed something different with two Gulf Frits. One had landed on the ground and the other was fluttering just above. This went on for a couple of minutes. I have seen this before. I was wondering if this is some type of mating dance. Any ideas?
Anole

I saw two Monarchs today here in NW Missouri. One at my place nectaring on Tithonia. The other was observed flying at Mort Nelson's 10 acre monarch waystation where we planted another 82 milkweed - 50 Swamp and 32 Common. This puts the number of milkweed there at > 500. In Spring there, we also planted 100s of nectar plants and Mort spread ~ 15 pounds of plains mixed flowers.

John, that's butterfly flirting. The male was fluttering above the female.

David, tell your Monarchs to move on south! Ahh...they know the way.

Back in the day, it was called Public Display of Affection aka Hanky Panky!

No more posts of Queen butterflies today. You're all probably on overload from those.
So we'll do Gulf Fritillaries! I love the way they "shine" in the garden.







Just had to try out my newly acquire skill of putting photos horizontally.
Thanks to the nice folks at Bee Friends Forum, I learned this new trick!

Beautiful, Char!!

After a brief lull, my Gulf Frit population is back up. I counted four just in front of the house as I was leaving to run errands.

And I still haven't downloaded the pictures off my camera. I'm in vacation recovery mode.

@mellielong, I need your help! Today I saw this little hairstreak, but it didn't look like the usual ones. Could it possibly be a Dusky-blue Groundstreak? I'm saying that because of the orange stripe on the top wing. If so, it will be my first sighting of this species.




And another first! Remember I posted a photo of the White-striped Longtail butterfly - but it didn't have tails. Well, this one did!!!! I got so excited!

Oh lucky you Char, all of the longtail skippers are very elusive here! I rarely see one unless I go into the forest and try to stalk them.

I think you have your first butterfly right.
http://www.dallasbutterflies.c...
http://www.dallasbutterflies.c...

Melanie! You are the BEST at butterflies!!!

I thought it was interesting that the Dusky-blue Groundstreak larva will feed on moldy bread.

Sounds like they eat a lot of strange stuff.....
Thanks for the links, Christine!

Here's a moth that I did not find in a search here on NGA. This was taken inside of my srceen tent.

Stained Lophosis - Lophosis labeculata - Hodges7181

Cool looking moth, Goat!

Awesome moth!!!

Char, thank Christine, not me. I never heard of a Dusky-Blue Groundstreak before, but they're rather localized in Texas and down into Mexico. Pretty, though!

BAMONA did get back to me and I realized I saw two new butterflies while I was down in Naples! But you have to wait until I get back from the movies to see them. I like to build the anticipation!

That's a long movie, Melanie.

Melanie, they say "Anticipation is half the joy". So while you're at the movies, I'll post some Giant Swallowtails. I have trouble resisting these beautiful creatures, and take far too many photos....so I apologize in advance for the excessive number.











And just when I tell myself, "That's enough!", I look over and spot a female depositing an egg on the wafer ash tree. So, naturally, I just HAD to get a picture of that!!!



Okay, I'll stop now.
Anxiously awaiting Melanie's posts.

Butterflies and cats...OMG!
Gotta go outside and do stuff, but will post details later!

The butterfly population here has slowly grown this month, but this week is especially good, for some reason. Yesterday, when driving up our driveway after a trip into town, I spotted about six Bordered Patch butterflies on a single nearby Goldeneye plant, so I knew more butterflies had arrived. Then I found a caterpillar on the wall inside the house...very odd! It turned out to be a Crimson Patch cat! I love it when I get a chance to see one of those, which I seldom see...sometimes a few years pass before they return! Those tend to jump off the host plant when they feel threatened, still attached by their "silk" strands, so this one might have accidentally have become attached to me when I passed by and I unknowingly brought it in earlier...maybe? Anyway, there's some more outside on the Flame Acanthus plants also! Yesterday I saw a Giant Swallowtail in the garden, the first I've seen on the property this year. Today, I saw a Queen, also the first I've actually seen on my own property this year. Some black butterflies have come...Pipevine Swallowtails and other black ones I wasn't sure about. Common Mestras have been around here about a week. A few quick pics...first the cat:

Bordered Patch

Pipevine Swallowtail

I had seen a red Admiral yesterday , Today what looked like a Yellow Eastern SWT .. Saw a Question Mark a couple days ago ,
All I could get with the camera today was this Silver Spotted Skipper , Surprised their still here