Ok, I went back outside because it looked like the Sassafras leaf was fading so I got the Spicebush cats a little leaf off the plant they can have something fresh to chew on. And of course, I took more pictures because there's always something going on...
Like Cassius Blue love! I saw this weird thing flying around and I thought it was a butterfly but it wasn't shaped quite right. Then, it landed and I realized it was two butterflies! Yes, they can fly while mating. One flies while the other basically just hangs from the other. I have no idea if the male or the female "takes the reins" so to speak. (Begin rant) We had a couple Monarchs flying around like that at MOSI this weekend and I was showing everyone in sight. One lady took a picture of the Monarch couple after they had landed and she asked me what was going on with these butterflies and I replied, "They're mating." Some people think it's cool and some you can tell feel really awkward. But I always try to keep it scientific, and I'm not afraid to talk about it even if there are kids around (they gotta learn someday). I even tell people how the males need salts and minerals to produce sperm and that is why the males tend to "puddle" or, in the flight cage, land on my head or arms and drink my sweat. People think it's neat when butterflies land on me and then I'm like, "The male just wants to drink the salt in my sweat to produce sperm" and then they tend to shut up.
Just keepin' it real, folks. Plus, I just get tired of people who think butterflies want to magically land on them which they hardly ever do! Like I tell people, you are not made of nectar and you don't taste like a host plant! They do not want to land on you! You are big and scary and unknown! Seriously, the amount of people who come in and stick their arms out like the butterflies will just land on them automatically boggles my mind. (End Rant) Ok, I promised you a picture...these Cassius Blues are on their host plant, plumbago.
A Long-Tailed Skipper with no tails was drinking the porterweed (they, like many butterflies, love porterweed). This is only the second one I've seen this year which is a little weird. I checked the butterfly pea for eggs, but still no luck. Must have been a male.
Now, I took some pictures of this particular Zebra Longwing because I wanted to illustrate a point. If you look at its proboscis, you can see the yellow pollen it has collected. The butterfly will then secrete an enzyme that liquefies the pollen so it can then be slurped up through the proboscis. And this added nutrition is why Zebra Longwings can live 6-9 months. You can really see it in the last photo because of the contrast against the white of my house. It almost looks like a caterpillar or something is crawling up the proboscis!
