We're seeing many types of swallowtails here, just showing up in the past few weeks. Tigers, Blacks, and Spicebush are abundant. I have collected over 60 Black Swallowtail eggs on the fennel in the past week. I've found out that the way to tell if the chrysalis will overwinter or not is the daylength. If, in the 5th instar the caterpillar receives more than 12 hours of daylight, it will most likely emerge in a few weeks. If the daylight isn't more than 12 hours, it will probably overwinter and emerge in the spring instead.
We have not had rain here in Central VA for six weeks. Everything is drying up and dying. The Buddleia have almost quit blooming. I don't know if there will be enough nectar plants for the migrating monarchs in a few weeks. I am teaching several monarch tagging classes this fall. I am finding a few wild monarch caterpillars on the tropical milkweed and bringing them in to raise them.
(more...)
The butterfly season has almost come to an end for this year. I still have a few monarch caterpillars I'm raising. The milkweed looks bad, but it's come back somewhat since we've had some rain. I have a few black swallowtail caterpillars left, but most have pupated and will spend the winter in the refrigerator. The variegated fritillaries are still plentiful. I've sleeved about a dozen on the passionvine. I remember that last year, we still were seeing them into the first of November.
I've taught several monarch tagging programs, including an online one for the Association For Butterflies. Last week I did one for a home-schooled group. Everyone had a great time, learning about monarch migration and then individually tagging their butterflies. Some purchased monarch chrysalises in pupae pyramids to take home. We always wish them well on their long journey to Mexico before we release them. Maybe one day a butterfly that we've tagged will be found and reported to Monarch Watch!
(more...)
Since we haven't had a freeze yet, there are still flowers on a few butterfly bushes, many zinnias, Mexican sunflowers and cosmos that were planted late, aster, some tropical milkweed, lantana and pincushion flower. Those late-season butterflies like the Variegated Fritillaries, Buckeyes, Skippers, Whites and Sulphurs and a few assorted others at least have something to nectar on. I've been raising a few Variegated Frits and releasing them, but I'm not seeing any more laying eggs on the passionvine. About a week ago, I did see one Black Swallowtail in the garden. I also saw a Long-tailed skipper about 2 weeks ago, which I tried to net, but it was too fast for me. The migrating monarchs have left the area on their way south now. It helps to plant seeds later in the season (July) so there are flowers for the fall winged ones. I have been gathering seeds to sell in
Social Butterflies Wing It! kits, such as fennel, Queen Anne's Lace, marigolds, verbena and Black-eyed Susan. We now have about four months of winter weather ahead of us, which is a good time to recoup and assess how things went this past butterfly season.
(more...)
The Association For Butterflies will hold a symposium for butterfly farmers and butterfly enthusiasts this coming December in Gainesville, Florida. Held December 5~7, please see
www.forbutterflies.org for more information. A wide variety of workshops will be held for beginning farmers and experienced ones. On Sunday, a time will be dedicated to event planners/wedding and funeral professionals to help them understand how to conduct a butterfly release. A live butterfly release will follow. An optional tour of a working butterfly farm and the Rainforest at the McGuire Center at the University of Florida will be available.
(more...)
Read More Posts From We love butterflies!
Working...