Well, Dad's about to start cooking dinner so it seems like a good time to post. We're having grouper tonight! Yum!
Dad was out there painting the trailer some more today. He told me he saw lots of Pipevines flying around and I said, "I wonder why?"
I released two more this morning. Oh, and the one from last night I ended up releasing around 9 pm because she was flying around the container so hard.
Okay, so one of them was a female.
And one of them was male. See the difference? Blue shimmer very obvious on males. Especially if the sunlight hits them.
Then, I slept all day because that's what people with chronic fatigue do. I also tried out my new pillows and I enjoyed them very much. I bought the Jumbo size because they were the same price as the Standard. So that's two more inches of pillow for the same price! I did have trouble falling asleep. I came out to take a Zyrtec at 1:30 am and Mom was making tea because she was all stuffed up, and her throat hurt, etc. And I was like, "That doesn't explain the Pop Tarts."
So back to the butterflies. I went outside to change the hummingbird feeder nectar. For those who don't follow the bird thread, I got a hummingbird feeder and put it in the butterfly garden. I figured it would make the hummingbirds more comfortable and they'd also be close to some of the plants they already like to eat. Because I'm thoughtful like that. Anyway, there were tons of Frits, per usual, but I saw a female Spicebush flying around. And what got me really excited is that she was eating from two of my new plants!
I literally planted two Salvia 'Saucy Red' plants yesterday. I knew the hummingbirds would be all about that, but it's nice to see the butterflies enjoy it, too.
The other one I planted last week, although I bought it several weeks ago. It's called Bush Pentas or Panama Rose.
Panama Rose (Rondeletia leucophylla) Look, my picture is the main thumbnail! You see, I was at the USF Botanical Gardens a few months ago and I saw this Giant Swallowtail all up in this plant. And when a butterfly likes something that much, I have to know what it is. The Plant ID forum gave me an answer; I saw the plant for sale at a local nursery and bought it and the rest is history. That's the same Spicebush Swallowtail as in the previous picture checking it out.
I'm kind of hoping my Pipevine babies fly away and go lay eggs on someone else's Pipevine. Mine is still recovering. But look how big the leaves are getting! I didn't know Wooly Pipevine got that big! FYI, this is the third year for that plant. That's the kind of leaves I need. Super sized for hungry caterpillars!
I keep meaning to say this but I keep forgetting.
To the folks who raise butterflies - check your host plants. A lot. Especially if you find something on them. Because you will always miss some. And also, like I said before, the butterflies will come back and lay more eggs. Since my Spicebush cats hatched inside, I knew they would be hatching outside. And sure enough, I missed at least one little guy.
When I was putting him in the tank, I saw a spider in there! And I screamed! And grabbed a tissue and disposed of it. My parents asked if I was okay and I told them what happened. Mom sounded very concerned. I told Dad I had acted as judge, jury, and executioner and that all the caterpillars appeared to be fine. There's another lesson. Check your host plants carefully before you bring them in as food!
Well, the female Spicebush Swallowtail outside decided to nectar on some regular pentas. I imagine they're producing more nectar than my new plants which are probably having a bit of transplant shock. So here's some more pretty pictures.
