Glen, Florida panthers are in the genus Puma, but everyone down here calls them panthers. They are also called cougars sometimes. Not sure why we Americans can't decide on one name and stick with it, LOL! I think they have some in rehabilitation facilities but I'm not sure they're open to the public. I wouldn't want to see one in the wild, that's for sure! I know it would probably run from me, but I'm not willing to take the chance. My dad and brother are gearing up for hunting season so maybe they can shoot some of those hogs. Their track record shooting deer is not so good. I sometimes forget what a problem Australia has with invasive species. It's such a shame because, like Florida, it's such a unique ecosystem.
I learned something new about butterflies and introduced species a few weeks ago. One of the ladies who works part-time at the museum also blogs a lot about butterflies. Her other job is social media manager for Birds and Blooms magazine. She wrote a good blog about those Chalcid wasps that infest our caterpillars. These are the tiny wasps that look ant-sized. Apparently, their primary host was Cabbage Whites, which were introduced from Europe. But since Cabbage Whites are mostly a spring and summer butterfly, they turn to Monarchs in the fall to parasatize. Here's the link if you want to read the whole thing:
http://nblo.gs/10sg5b
Linda, I would love to see that many Queens! I have to agree on the Buckeyes, though. It's been a slow year for them here, too. No idea why. They use a wide variety of host plants and the weather has been fine so I'm not sure what's up. I've seen them, just not as often as I'm used to. Hopefully, next year will be better.
