I totally feel like the Wicked Witch because it's so hot outside, "I'm melting, I'm melting!" Here's my update from yesterday and today. (I'm also working up that Zebra ST lesson.)
So yesterday not a lot happened because I mostly stayed inside. We got rain, too! But I was checking the host plants - seriously, I am OCD about host plants. This is why I hesitate to say I go "hiking" because even when I was healthy, I never made it very far because I have to stop and look at all the host plants. But it pays off! I was checking my Spicebush because I still couldn't believe she would lay just one egg and I was right! I found three more caterpillars! Woo hoo!
Ugh, my internet connection went kaput while uploading that picture. They didn't have a supervisor to send out yesterday so they sent a guy who had been here before. He's real nice. He ran a new cable from the box to our house and now we have little orange flags across the lawn. They're supposed to be coming out again soon.
So back to the butterflies. Well, caterpillars. I was outside because I have to feed massive amounts of Senna to my Orange-Barred Sulphurs.
One made a chrysalis so that's one less mouth to feed!
So today I woke up and my American Lady was out. You can totally see my house in the first picture! She then flew to the Giant Milkweed because a Frit came along and they did that spinning in the air thing at each other.
An Orange-Barred Sulphur flew by and I was like, "I didn't want your picture, anyway!" But then I realized she was egg-bombing me so I tried. They're super fast even when they lay eggs. This one had a neat coloration on her. More reddish-orange. As you can see, they will lay eggs on the buds first, but I think she was determined to hit every leaf I had.
Meanwhile, another of my Orange-Barred cats made a sling! Another mouth I don't have to feed. Of course, I've got a whole new generation out there now. It never ends...
So I saw my second Zebra Longwing (in my yard) of the year and she was acting like she wanted to lay eggs on my P. lutea. They love that species, FYI. But as you recall, I already had eggs on it. So I walk over and the butterfly totally doesn't care and even brushes my arm. Zebra Longwings fear nothing! So I look and there are two tiny orange caterpillars on the plant. And I totally forgot to take a picture of them! (Facepalm.) Anyway, my scientific mind wondered if she was hesitating because the plant already had caterpillars. And if I removed the caterpillars, would she lay eggs? So I picked the two caterpillars off, later moving them to the P. 'Lavender Lady' and she immediately started laying eggs!
Now, while I was looking at my pictures I noticed another interesting thing I captured. I've mentioned before that Zebra Longwings can live 6-9 months because they eat pollen as well as nectar. They do this by collecting it on their proboscis, secreting an enzyme that then liquefies the pollen, and then slurping it up. You can actually see the yellow pollen on the proboscis. These aren't the best photos, but if you look you can see it.
I had a Monarch trying to lay eggs on my Giant Milkweed and I shooed her off. It was okay to nectar on the pentas, though.
And while walking around, I scared up a moth! I believe this is one of the underwing moths but I'll send it to BAMONA.
I was ready to go back inside when a Spicebush Swallowtail flew by! But it was headed for my neighbor's yard so I was about to say, "Forget it." But it stopped! Despite all the beautiful, butterfly-friendly, nectar-rich plants I provide, it went straight for the Florida Tassel Flower. Which isn't even native (despite the name)! The butterflies are being weird this year. I'm pretty sure this is a male but I suppose he could be the baby daddy of my caterpillars.
