Butterflies

(Note to self: check camera battery before heading out of the house next time.)

2010-08-29T21:06:00.001-04:00

Earlier today, we were checking the caterpillars we collected yesterday. Wow. One of the Yellow-shouldered Oak Slug caterpillars had obviously been parasitized.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth Caterpillar - Lithacodes fasciola

Here is it yesterday (above) ... and here it is today (below). It is nearly identical to the one from Nason's Slug Moth caterpillar. A close look at the skin left shows that its a different wasp pupa this time - same species wasp, though. When these wasps emerge, we'll post a photo. There is one wasp in each little wasp cocoon.

So here I head out the door to walk Michael and Caden to Charlotte's house, still in my church clothes (skirt), a paper bag and camera in hand. After a short visit with Charlotte, I walk the long way home.

Datana caterpillars on Deerberry

First to catch my eye are these Danata caterpillars on Deerberry. I left my book in the office so I'll have to come back to this page to identify and label them later.

A few steps beyond this tree, an oak tree had odd 'growth' on the tip of a couple of tiny stems. A closer examination reveals that the 'growth' is a cluster of caterpillars that are preparing to molt.

Caterpillars preparing to molt, grouped together on a tiny branch of an oak tree

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth Caterpillar - Lithacodes fasciola

Another Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth caterpillar was under an oak leaf. This one seems very healthy, busy eating the leaf. We find these nearly every time we walk this year. I had never seen one before this year, in spite of the many walks I've taken, looking under oak leaves.

Dying Bay Tree
Laurel Wilt Disease is transferred from tree to tree by
Ambrosia beetles

Bay trees are dying in our area from Laurel Wilt Disease, transferred by Ambrosia beetles. We're finding more dead trees when we walk or drive around. These trees are used by both Palamedes Swallowtail and Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies as a host plant.

Duskywing butterfly caterpillar in it's nest

Another Duskywing butterfly caterpillar was hiding. They cut the leaf and fold the cut part over the leaf, creating a little shelter. They rest upside down inside the shelter when they're not eating leaves.

Molting Imperial Moth caterpillar - Eacles imperialis

While flipping oak branches to look underneath the leaves, I was startled to find an Imperial Moth caterpillar. It was preparing to molt. It's head capsule is on its head, positioned like a surgeons mask.

After taking everything home (that we wanted to take home) and opening the paper bag bag to sort things out, we took another photo. It had finished molting. The color difference is partly due to the molt and partly due to the fact that the second photo was taken indoors, after sunset, with a flash.

Eggs are everywhere. Moth eggs, butterfly eggs, and other critter eggs. We gently remove the eggs from the leaves and place them in a little cup to see what (if anything) will hatch.

Assorted butterfly and moth (and other critter) eggs

Whew - a short walk filled the bag. As we sit and type this blog, the Imperial Moth caterpillar turned around and is now eating its old skin. What a fascinating world we live in!

More Brachnoid Wasps and More 'Stuff'

2010-08-28T20:05:00.000-04:00

The first find of today's walk was a sad one. A Yellow Lined Slug Moth has brachnoid wasp cocoons on its back. This caterpillar will be dead shortly. We did find another Yellow Lined Slug Moth caterpillar that appears to be healthy. We won't know until it emerges as an adult, though.

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciola
Brachnoid Wasp Cocoons

Yellow-shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciolaBrachnoid Wasp Cocoons

We startled a deer that took off into the deeper woods. There wasn't enough time to take a photo.

Next, a couple of caterpillars. One is another caterpillar of a species we picked up last week and the other is one caterpillar of a species we raised last year.

Afflicted Dagger Moth - Acronicta afflicta

We found several of the caterpillar just above, varying sizes.

A racket and rattle near me caught my attention. A butterfly predator had caught and was eating a butterfly predator. A Robber Fly caught a Dragonfly and is eating it.

A Robber Fly caught and is eating a Dragonfly

Nothing to do with butterflies, but mushrooms were popping up all over the place!

This looks like a little table or pillow with lace around the edge.

Today's finds: about 10 species of caterpillars, several species of eggs, one set of brachnoid cocoons, and a load of fun.

More New Caterpillars and Stuff

2010-08-25T22:31:00.000-04:00

A short walk around some small oak trees a mile down the road resulted in a few more caterpillars and 'stuff'.

Nason's Slug - Natada nasoni

I need more hours in my day so I can look these new guys up to identify them. I'm still thinking that it will be a good winter job.

Angulose Prominent - Peridea angulosa
Identified by Shaina

All of these today were from oak trees. I didn't take long wandering. Grandsons were waiting at the house to pay a game with me. Jonathan won.

Oblique Heterocampa - Heterocampa obliqua
Identified by Shana

This one had sewed several leaves together and was hiding in its little nest.

As usual, I was touching gently and carefully, watching for flannel moth stinging caterpillars. They're all over the place and love oaks and, around my legs, blackberry plants. One day I will get zapped by one. Charlotte did the other day when she was moving some hackberry branches she had trimmed from around her back door.

Then I saw a wheel bug eating a flannel moth caterpillar. So who to boo? The wheel bug killing a caterpillar or the caterpillar for being a stinging caterpillar? The white fuzzy thing is the caterpillar.

And eggs of about five species of moths and other critters. I don't know the identity of most of them. This egg batch covered several leaves, hundreds of eggs. Now to wait and find out what they are.

A good end to another day except for the part of not winning the game! Of course, a grandson winning is a good thing too.

If you know the identification of any of these critters, please email me at edith@buyabutterfly.com.

Cornucopia of Caterpillars

2010-08-22T22:14:00.000-04:00

First critters on today's walk were turkeys, not happy with me coming too close to them.

Moving on ... I watched two duskywing butterflies laying eggs. One on oak and the other on a vine in the pea family.

Duskywing Butterfly Egg on Oak Tree

There were eggs of butterflies, moths, and other critters on and under leaves. This one egg was designated as food by these three ants. They were working hard to break the egg loose and carry it off.

Ants Removing Moth Egg

An assortment of butterflies but not a large assortment were drinking nectar from goldenrod and other flowering plants.

Next, a cornucopia of caterpillars and eggs!

A look at the front of this caterpillar makes you wonder quite what it is! Of course, the entire caterpillar looks quite different. This caterpillar will sting.

Spiny Oak Slug Moth Euclea delphinii Caterpillar

Spiny Oak Slug Moth Euclea delphinii Caterpillar

The prolegs (last few sets of legs) of the one below were comical. All the caterpillars were on oak except for this one, on sweet gum leaves. I believe it is Large Paectes - Paectes abrostoloides.

Large Paectes - Paectes abrostoloides

I'll be researching and identifying these caterpillars as I have time. They were all found on oak. I do know a couple of them and will add identification tomorrow. If you know the identity of any of these, please email me at edith@buyabutterfly.com. Thank you!

Yellow Shouldered Slug Moth - Lithacodes fasciola

Wandering with a Paper Bag

2010-08-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

After bleaching a greenhouse today and going home to rest, I put on my tennis shoes to head out and take a short walk. Of course, as I tie my shoes, it starts raining. The rain stopped and I took a short walk in the wet grass at the edge of the woods here.

I found several Variable Oakleaf caterpillars - Lochmaeus manteo - chowing down on oak leaves.

And a couple of Yellow shouldered Slug Moth caterpillars -Lithacodes fasciola - underneath a couple of oak leaves.

A side view reveals the head and legs of this caterpillar. It's head is a tiny little green bump to the left. This caterpillar is SMALL! I edit the photos after I return so that extras, like my hand holding its leaf, won't show in the photo.

But in this photo I decided to edit it twice. The second time I left my hand to show how small this critter is. I don't know yet what kind of egg is on the leaf. It's a fairly large egg. I'll let you know what it is when it hatches. I brought it in out of sheer curiosity.

As I walk, I place any goodies I want to bring home in a paper bag and sort them when I arrive back at the house.

Wandering with a paper bag - how much better can it get?

Oak Moth Caterpillars and Their Parasitoids (Walk 8-15-10)

2010-08-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

So here I finally go walking, my feet having improved enough for me to wander. I walked about a mile, taking one hour. One camera was harnessed to me and the others just a short way away, in the car. In my pocket were paper bags for any treasures I found. Ahhh, it's wonderful to be walking again!

One of the first things that caught my eye were quite a few of these white fuzzy caterpillars. These are flannel moths and will sting. When I returned home, Charlotte called and invited us over for supper. I mentioned them to her and she showed me where she was stung this afternoon while moving limbs she cut from a tree by her door. They are nasty little rascals. This is one of the dangers we watch for when we're walking.

I found quite a few of these last year. I believe that it is the Varieable Oakleaf Moth caterpillar.

There were quite a few Duskywing butterfly caterpillars. I won't post photos of all of them. This is a big beautiful Duskywing caterpillar.

There were also a couple of brachnoid infected caterpillars. Well, one caterpillar was missing. I noticed a wasp flying around a couple of leaves sewn together and knew there would be a caterpillar inside. I then saw the ants and knew that there may NOT be a caterpillar inside any longer. Ants were carrying away the head capsule and the brachnoid wasp cocoons. It's good to know that brachnoids have enemies too.

Another Duskywing caterpillar has holes in its side where brachnoid larvae exited the little thing. They created their cocoons and the butterfly caterpillar crawls on top of them and stays there for days, until it dies. There are some nasty stuff we find when we go hunt caterpillars!

Another moth caterpillar, a fuzzy interesting one with whiskers that it can be proud of! This is a Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar.

Yippee - two Polyphemus Moth caterpillars. They're beautiful.

And two Polyphemus Moth eggs that hatched trichogramma wasps instead of the moth caterpillar.

Then, on a wild plum tree, a Red-spotted Purple caterpillar. One of its host plants was growing near it, so I don't know if it had crawled off to pupate or what ...

Dan Stahr made a suggestion that led me to a page that identifies this as the Yellow-shouldered Slug - Lithacodes fasciola. I like google.

A shadow on an oak leaf above my head caught my attention. A closer look revealed that it was simply large green eggs. Hmmm, what lays eggs like this on oak trees? They're about the size of BBs.

I haven't seen one of these for five or six years. It's a fungus or some sort that kills lepidoptera. This WAS an adult moth.

Another baddie. An aleiodes wasp mummified the caterpillar and emerged from the abdomen. This is what is left. Last year it was a different species of caterpillar that I found mummified with a hole in the abdomen. Last year we even found some that had the wasp still inside and was able to emerge the wasp in a container. This year I'm keeping better records.

Two leaves close together are irresistible. These caterpillars are found fairly often out there. I have no clue what it is.

And The Laugher Moth caterpillar. Yes, it's called 'The Laugher'.

On one egg batch of some sort of critter there were at least three trichogramma wasps. I took photos of these two and then removed the wasps and put the eggs in a little cup. Wonder how many are infected ....

Trichogramma Wasps

I found quite a few bagworm moth caterpillars. I'm only posting a photo of one of them. They're cool.

It took almost as long to edit the photos and post them here than it took to find them. My searches focus on oak trees primarily. For some reason, I just wanted to document all larvae I find on oaks on our property last year and I'm carrying it over into this year too.

If you know the identity of any of these and would like to share it, please leave a comment or email me at edith@buyabutterfly.com.

Butterfly Exhibit at Lincoln Zoo - Nebraska

2010-07-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

How is Laura's Butterfly Exhibit and the rest of the Lincoln Zoo funded? How is food for the animals purchased? How are new animals and butterflies purchased? Through donations!

A large part of their funding is through donations. To support the Lincoln Zoo, visit their website.

Butterfly Exhibits and Butterfly Houses purchase their butterflies from butterfly farmers. Wild butterflies are not collected from nature to fill the exhibits. In the wild, nasty diseases, predators, and parasitoids are ever-present, sickening and killing butterflies. Butterflies for butterfly exhibits, like the Lincoln Zoo, are raised at butterfly farms, often in laboratories to keep these elements away from their healthy butterflies.

If you're able, please consider supporting the Lincoln Zoo through a donation and visiting the zoo when you're in Nebraska!

Pipevine and Gold Rim (Polydamas) Swallowtail Eggs

2010-07-03T21:43:00.000-04:00

Both Pipevine and Gold Rim Swallowtail butterflies lay eggs on pipevine - but there aren't many species of pipevine that they can both eat. What one eats normally kills the other.

Gold/yellow/greenish eggs are Gold Rim eggs. Burgundy/rust eggs are Pipevine eggs.

We grow Aristolochia tomentosa for Pipevine Swallowtails and Aristolochia elegans for Gold Rim (also called Polydamas) Swallowtails. From what we understand, Aristolochia triloba feeds both.

The top photo is of a Gold Rim (Polydamas) Swallowtail, a tail-less swallowtail butterfly. The bottom photo is of a male Pipevine Swallowtail.

Viceroy caterpillars are waking up ...

2010-03-29T21:35:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year in much of the United States! Butterflies are beginning to wake from their winter slumber.

Viceroy caterpillars spend the winter in a leaf that they rolled into tight tubes. When days are longer and warmer, the caterpillar emerges from its tube (hibernaculum) and begins eating new fresh leaves on the willow tree or shrub.

When visiting a willow in the late fall, winter, or early spring, watch for these little tubes. Inside, a caterpillar may be as eagerly awaiting spring as we are.

Why didn't my butterfly eggs hatch?

2009-12-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

We're often asked why someone's butterfly eggs that they brought in from their garden didn't hatch. The bottom line is, in most circumstances, we don't know for sure!

[First photo; healthy Monarch egg]

But we do know several reasons why they perhaps didn't hatch.

1. The eggs were infertile. Yes, females that do not pair will often still lay eggs. After a few days, the eggs start to collapse on themselves, losing their plumpness and beauty.

[Second photo; infertile eggs after several days]

2. Trichogramma wasps. These rascals are tiny! They lay eggs in freshly laid butterfly eggs and the wasp larvae eat the inside of the egg. Instead of a caterpillar, many miniature wasps emerge.

[Third photo; trichogramma wasp and Brazilian Skipper butterfly egg]

[Fourth photo; trichogramma wasps leaving a Giant Swallowtail buttterfly egg]

3. Excessive Heat. The eggs were in a spot that became too hot. They should never be kept in a window or car. Just like chocolate melts, eggs will cook.

4. Insect spray. Eggs in a room that has had insect spray in the room can die. NEVER use insecticide in the same room as butterfly or moth eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, or adults.

[Fifth photo; Hatching Monarch caterpillar from a Monarch egg]

These are just four basic reasons why perhaps someone's eggs didn't hatch.

There are several reasons why you may find your butterfly eggs empty or totally missing. We'll cover those topics in another post.

Skiff Moth - Prolimacodes badia

2009-11-05T20:25:00.000-05:00

Prolimacodes badia

It's an unusual caterpillar that doesn't look like a caterpillar. It looks like a green box that moves. Small and cute, it moves slowly along leaves and stems. The rear of the caterpillar is pointed.

The Skiff Moth caterpillar eats oaks, winged elm, and other tree leaves. The pattern of brown on the caterpillar may vary from caterpillar to caterpillar.

The pupa is inside a tiny dark circle cocoon.

The adult moth is beige with a brown semicircle on its wings.

A Soft Chrysalis Falls ...

2009-07-19T20:55:00.000-04:00

A soft chrysalis falls and you know that if it isn't hanging properly, it will be deformed. A deformed chrysalis means either a dead or deformed butterfly.

What do you do?

If you are nearby, you can save it!

One of the new pages on our educational butterfly website details how to save it.

It's super easy - anyone can do it! Just click on the link above to see photo instructions.

Fertilizer NPK - What does it mean?

2009-07-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

You're planting a new garden or adding new plants. OR your plants are turning yellow or not blooming. Or ... anyway, you decide you need fertilizer for your garden.

You stand and look at the fertilizer containers which carry three numbers and wonder ... what do they mean?

The newest webpage on the site is about fertilizer numbers and soil pH and why they are important.

Silk Moth Mouth?

2009-06-15T22:04:00.001-04:00

Silk moths emerge as adults without mouths. Imagine - they emerge, spread and dry their wings, mate, females lay eggs, and they die. They starve to death. The Luna Moth (above) is the beauty that is used in Lunesta commercials.

The caterpillar of the IO moth will sting - badly! But the adult is a beauty. Named for it's 'eyes' on its hingwings, it does not have a mouth when it becomes an adult.

Cecropia moth caterpillars start black, turn yellow, then turn green. Growing to 3" long, they make a cocoon, pupate into a pupa, and emerge as a huge beautiful moth, wihtout a mouth and cannot eat.

The Polyphemus moth is a huge brown moth. The spots on its wings are clear as glass. Again, the adult moth does not have a mouth.

Raising these moths are fun. The caterpillars do eat a ton of food - be prepared!

Dogbane vs Milkweed

2009-06-12T20:00:00.000-04:00

Can you tell which plant is dogbane and which is milkweed? Dogbane doesn't grow in Florida but in areas where it does grow, many people use it to 'feed' their Monarch caterpillars, thinking that it IS milkweed. The result is starved caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars will not eat dogbane.

The plant on the left is dogbane and the plant on the right is common milkweed. Both have white sap.

Milkweed has hollow stems and dogbane has solid stems (thank you Jodi and Linda for these tips). Common milkweed has green stems while dogbane has red stems.

The flowers resemble milkweed in this species of dogbane but it is not the exact same flowers. Some species of dogbane grows flowers that closely resemble milkweed flowers.

If you're not sure, send a photo to someone who knows the difference. Remember, feeding dogbane to Monarch caterpillars (or rather, attempting to feed it to Monarch caterpillars) is a sure way to starve them to death!

At Shady Oak Butterfly Farm we use tropical milkweed exclusively. We're jealous! We'd love to have the larger leaves of common milkweed but it won't grow with our warmers winters - it needs cold winters.

Aphids and Ladybug Nymph

2009-04-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

Ladybugs (known also as Lady Birds) are quite handy little critters in a garden with aphids. Aphids are well known as the enemy of milkweed. A few won't cause harm but they multiply like crazy - those aphids. Once there are more than a few, they can cause harm to your milkweed plants.

Adult lady bugs also eat aphids.

While watching Monarch caterpillars eat milkweed today, I saw the nymph running around. A short while later, it was eating lunch.

~Edith
Shady Oak Butterfly Farm

What is Going On Inside a Monarch Chrysalis?

2009-01-21T17:28:00.001-05:00

There is a lot of action going on inside a Monarch butterfly chrysalis.

We assume that the inside is just 'mush' but it isn't mush. It is soft and tender and easily damaged.

A large caterpillar already has wings - so to speak. They are called 'wing pads' and are already growing into wings. (Swallowtail caterpillars can be identified by the wing pads alone when the wing pads are viewed under special lights.)

This freshly pupated Monarch chrysalis is labeled. Wings, proboscis, legs, eyes, and antennae are clearly identifiable at this stage. (The arrows are slightly inward for the eyes in this photo. The eyes are a little lower and further out.)

The proboscis is seen as two lines. These two lines are two tubes that are forming. When the adult butterfly emerges, the proboscis is two tubes that the adult must fuse together into one proboscis. They zip together and create a channel between the two; the channel is the 'straw' through which the butterfly drinks. Each side of the proboscis is a 'tube' that has blood flow, nerves, trachea, muscle, and more.

The chrysalis cannot see although the eyes are also forming.

As a caterpillar changes into a chrysalis, it is extremly active. Some species of butterfly chrysalises are super active, moving every time something touches it. Red Admirals and Painted Lady chrysalies are notorious for their activity in their chrysalis stage. 'Mush' doesn't move - it requires structure to move in a co-ordinated fashion to first, work the cremaster tightly into its silk pad and knock off its old skin and two, to knock off or discourage parasitoids and predators.

As the chrysalis changes shape and hardens, these parts are less visible. Although less visible, they are still clearly identifiable.

If a soft, freshly pupated chrysalis falls, some of its organs can be seen in the resulting 'splat'. Yes, a fall kills a soft chrysalis.

In most cases, a hardened older chrysalis can fall for several feet without damage. If the emerging adult butterfly is not on a smooth surface and can obtain a grip on something wtih its feet and climb up on something to hang (to expand it's wings), it will also live and become a normal adult butterfly.

2008-11-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

Male butterflies have some disgusting diets. This dead deer is a tasty lunch for three Gulf Fritillary butterflies in this photo.

Learn more about butterflies and butterfly gardening by visiting our website. Over 250 pages are informational, not designed for selling products. Some of those pages are listed here.

Butterflies are my passion. We enjoy sharing the fun (and not-so-fun) information we learn with others.

Butterfly Host and Nectar Plants

2008-01-15T18:57:00.000-05:00

We've been working hard on our plant list and it is nearly finished. Not all of these plants will be available in early spring. Some will be grown to order only.

If you can't find info on our site about the plant that catches your interest, please send us an email!

~Edith

Australian Violet Viola hederacea

Aster Symphyotrichum sp

Autumn Sage Salvia greggii

Batface Cuphea llaeva

Bay Persea sp.

Black Cherry Prunus serotina

Blue Pea Vine Clitoria sp

Butterfly Bush Buddleia sp

Button Bush

Calico Vine Aristolochia elegans

Candlestick Cassia Cassia alata

Candy Corn Cuphea milvillea

Canna Lily Canna sp.

Cape Honeysuckle Techmaria capensis

Christmas Cassia Cassia bicapsularis

Coontie Zamia pumila

Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens

Creeping Indigo Indigofera spicata

Cudweed Gnaphalium sp.

Cypress Vine Ipomoea quamoclit

Deerberry vaccinium stamineum

False Nettle Bohemeria cylindrica

Fennel Foeniculum sp.

Firecracker - Upright Russelia sarmentosa

Firecracker - Weeping Russelia equisetiformis

Firespike Odontonema strictum

Frogfruit Phyla sp

Golden Dewdrop Duranta repens

Green Shrimp Blechum brownei

Hackberry Celtis sp

Heather Cuphea sp

Hercule's Cub Zanthoxylum clava herculis

Hibiscus Hibiscus sp

Hollyhock Alcea rosea

Hop Tree Ptelea trifoliata

Lemon Marigold Tagetes sp.

Liatris Liatris sp.

Loquat Eriobotrya japonica

Mexican/Summer Petunia Ruellia brittoniana

Mexican Sunflower Tithonia rotundiflolia

Mist Flower Ageratum sp.

Mock Bishop's Weed Ptilimnium capillaceum

Oleander Nerium oleander

Parsley Petroselunum sp.

Partridge Pea Cassia fasciculata

Passionvine, Blue Passiflora carula

Passionvine, Boomerang Passiflora biflora

Passionvine, Corky-stem Passiflora suberosa

Passionvine, Incense Passiflora incense

Passionvine, Lavender Lady Passiflora Lavender Lady

Passionvine, Maypop Passiflora incarnata

Passionvine, Running Pop Passiflora foetida

Pawpaw Asimina sp.

Pellitory Parietaria sp

Pepperweed Lepidium sp.

Philippine Violet Baleria sp.

Plumbago Plumbago sp.

Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Queen Anne's Lace Daucus carota

Rayless Sunflower Helianthus sp

Ribgrass Plantain Plantago lanceolata

Rosemary Rosemarinus officinalis

Rue Ruta graveolens

Saltbush Baccharis sp

Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica

Shy Leaf Aeschynomene americana

Silky Gold Milkweed Asclepias curassavica, Silky Gold

Spicebush Lindera sp

St. Augustine Grass Stenatophrum secundatum

Stoke's Aster Stokesia laevis

Summer Farewell Dalea sp

Sweet Bay Magnolia virginiana

Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua

Tansy Mustard Descurainia pinnata

Tropical Milkweed Asclepias curassavica

Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera

Turk's Cap Malvaviscus arboreus

Twinflower Dyschoriste sp.

Verbena Verbena sp

Violet Viola sp

Water Hyssop Bacopa monnieri

Wax Myrtle Myrica cerifera

Wedelia Wedelia sp.

White Vine Sarcostemma sp

Wild Lime Zanthoxylum fagara

Willow Salix sp

2008 is a Butterfly Year!

2008-01-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Butterflies in 2008 ... it's an exciting year for Shady Oak Butterfly Farm! Our website has a new look, we added dozens of butterfly informational pages to the site last year, and our newsletter Butterflies! has taken wings.

Searching for a bit of information on a website with over 300 pages was frustrating for our visitors. We were relieved to find a search feature that worked well. Now a visitor can simply enter a word or phrase in the search box and find pages with that information on the page.

Ask Edith is built on questions written to the farm about butterflies and butterfly gardening. Often a question is easy to answer but photos help tremendously. It takes so much time to answer some questions over and over, so we simply build a web page around a question we often receive. We enjoy sharing about butterflies; our passion for butterflies was what gave the farm it's roots and later, the newsletter was established.

We announce new pages on the site with our newsletter. After the newsletter has been published for four to six weeks, it is archived on the site where it can be accessed and read by anyone.

On January 14, the new issue will be published. In that issue is an interview with Judy Burris and Wayne Richards, brother-sister authors of 'Lifecycles of Butterflies'. Their book contains photos of the life cycle of 23 butterflies in the United States; egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult. With additional interesting information (silk from the Question Mark caterpillar is pink) tucked in, it is a fascinating and educational book.

Also included in the next issue is information about how to tell a Soldier and Queen adult butterfly apart as well as Ceraunus Blue and Cassius Blue butterflies.

We were asked, "How can I protect my caterpillars from predators without bringing them inside?" That question is answered in January 14's issue of Butterflies!

One other item in the upcoming newsletter I'd like to mention is reattaching butterfly chrysalises. Sometimes a chrysalis falls and needs to be rehung for the butterfly to emerge. If its silk is attached, it is simple. But if the silk is not attached; it is easy but takes a minute more to reattach it with glue. Most of us glue only the tip of the chrysalis. We look at chrysalises (pupae) glued farther up its shell to see how it effects emerging.

The pages linked in this blog are older pages; new pages are announced in Butterflies! Subscribe today and don't miss an issue! Subscribers simply unsubscribe (if they wish to do so) at the click of a button in the newsletter.

Happy New Year! Edith, Stephen, and our family at Shady Oak

Butterfly Newsletter?

2007-02-07T00:11:00.000-05:00

After receiving newsletters from several sources, we decided to start one and have fun with it. Boy, did we get out of control! We now have several butterfly newsletters going.

http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101474144614

~Edith
Shady Oak Butterfly Farm
www.butterfliesetc.com

Butterfly Festival Takes Flight in April

2007-02-07T00:02:00.000-05:00

As we plan the April 14, 2007 Butterfly Festival at Shady Oak Butterfly Farm in Brooker, Florida (near Gainesville and the Butterfly Rainforest), we are propagating many host and nectar plants. A plant swap will be held at the festival. Vendors (selling anything plant or butterfly/moth related) are invited. http://butterfliesetc.com/butterfly.festival.php

The festival will also host a swap for any Florida resident who wishes to trade or give away butterfly or moth eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, or adults.

The farm has been cold (well, cool for us) for the last week. Tomorrow it hits the 70s again. Perhaps we'll see a few butterflies

~Edith

Shady Oak Butterfly Farm

http://butterfliesetc.com/index.php

Malachites at Lake Okeechobee

2007-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Stephen and I went to Lake Okeechobee last week. We traveled north on the east side of the lake. Every time we travel back I wheedle and plead and Stephen allows me to pull off and swing under the overpass. I climb out with my camera and have fun. This time I took photos of two Malachites. This was the first time I spotted them that far north. One was tattered and the other was fresh. Although I searched for eggs and caterpillars on green shrimp growing there, I didn't see traces of either.

I also spotted quite a few Zebra Longwing butterflies, Great Southern White butterflies, some Sulphurs, Checkered Skippers, Long-tailed Skippers, lots of Red Admirals on pellitory and drinking nectar from Spanish Needles (Bidens sp.) and White Peacocks. We did spot a little bit of False Nettle but I didn't notice Red Admirals on it. Pellitory was full of 'nests' of Red Admiral caterpillars.

Cold Weather and Butterflies

2006-11-20T14:34:00.000-05:00

Cool and sunny! Our temperature is 54 degrees and we noticed a Gulf Fritillary flying in the garden and drinking nectar. In north Florida temperatures drop to the twenties a night or two each winter. Long-tailed Skippers fly in cooler weather also.

I put about two dozen Luna Moth caterpillars on a Sweet Gum tree by the driveway. I don't have enough potted plants to feed as many caterpillars as we have eating. I hope to be able to feed all of them before Sweet Gum trees drop thier leaves. Sandra found a Luna Moth and placed it into a paper bag for me. The moth laid eggs in the bag. They hatched and have been eating me out of Sweet Gum.

In the off-season we can spend more time working on our website and other projects. The time it takes to feed larvae has dropped from 4-6 hours a day to less than an hour a day.

Edith
Shady Oak Butterfly Farm
www.butterfliesetc.com

Question Mark Butterfly in Winter

2006-11-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

What a name! People become confused when I talk about the 'Question Mark' butterfly. They often think I'm saying that I can't remember the butterfly's name. There is a white 'question mark' on the outside of its hindwing. http://www.butterfliesetc.com/images/qm6.jpg It's scientific name even reflects the mark; Polygonia interrogationis. A butterfly book from the twenties calls it the 'Interrogation Butterfly'. This butterfly spends the winter as an adult. It hides in nooks and crevices in wood. A pile of firewood can make a good home for these beautiful butterflies.
They are often found eating rotting fruit. Since their only means on intake is their proboscis, a ‘drinking straw’ which curls tightly when not in use, they can only drink liquids. Rotting fruit is partially liquid. http://www.butterfliesetc.com/questionmark.html
They lay eggs upon false nettle (boehmeria cylindrical) http://www.butterfliesetc.com/falsenettle.html and sugarberry/hackberry (Celtis laevigata) http://www.butterfliesetc.com/hackberry.html. ~Edith www.butterfliesetc.com

Butterflies and Moths in Winter

2006-11-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

As winter approaches in north Florida, I keep wondering how each species of butterfly and moth spends the winter.

Some species are clearly already prepared for winter, such as the Viceroy Limenitis archippus in our garden and on willow at the sides of the road. Willows are dropping their leaves. But every now and then I see a tightly curled leaf still on the bare limb. the Viceroy caterpillar has eaten half the leaf and curled the rest into a tube. The little rascal even sewed the leaf to the twig with webbing. Of course, that is the reason it's even on the limb when all other leaves have fallen off. With the onset of spring and new willow leaves, the caterpillar leaves the leaf curl (called a hibernaculum) to eat and grow again. http://www.butterfliesetc.com/viceroy.html

Edith Smith
Shady Oak Butterfly Farm