Monarch lays eggs on milkweed today!

I saw a Monarch flitting around the yard today, just before lunch. As you know, they are mostly soaring, so I went out to see what was happening. The female was hopping all over the pink milkweed plant (asclepias incarnata) that I had sheared all the flowers off of; I sheared the plant hoping to delay the flowers for later nectaring. And then she started laying eggs. She would stand on the leaf and curl her tail under so that the egg was deposited right under the leaf. This keeps it hidden and out of direct sun, for safe-keeping, I guess. Then she went to another plant and did the same thing.I think she laid 3 eggs per plant; except for this tiny self sown milkweed that only seemed to have one egg on it. So I should get about 6-12 caterpillars if all goes well.

Last year I had no monarch caterpillars and the year before I had a bunch that pupated and I got three or four monarch butterflies from them.

I planted two additional milkweed plants this year and some self seeded. I'll keep you posted.

A happy day in our garden at the pink house. Go Caterpillars!

First Blue Butterfly!

I saw my first blue butterfly today. I'll put the picture below. Not a good picture but I was taking the trash out and There is a big Euonymous 'Manhatten" which flowers like mad about now and I saw what looked like a tiny moth flitting around. I noticed it was bluish when it opened its wings. I ran for the camera and snapped a few. I thought blues came mainly in the spring, but I looked this one up and I'm pretty sure it is a Summer Azure or Celestrina 'neglecta' although it didn't looke neglected or tattered in any way. It was nectaring on the flowers of the Euonymous, which flies and other winged insect flock to but not usually butterflies. You can't see the bluish hue in the photo or in real life, it looks whitish. But the minute it opens its wings it shows light blue with a darker border on the upper wings. I have been looking for blue butterflies for years, now I've seen one! July 9, 2008

First Butterflies Summer 2008

I saw a Black Swallowtail butterfly about a month ago. Last week I saw a Monarch and what was probably an Eastern Black Swallowtail at Ridley Creek State Park, where we were biking. Today I used Ricardo's ineffective camera to attempt snatching an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail who was nectaring on Verbena Bonariensis (the tall, lanky purple one) and Pink Milkweed (asclepias incarnata). I thought he might be a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail but the book says it has a thick black outline around the furry body, whereas the Eastern tiger has a thinner line. My E.Tiger was so pale, tattered and had hardly any blue patches, due to wear and tear.

Something has been eating the Spicebush (Lindera Benzoin) that I planted out front. If the Spicebush Swallowtails could just find it, we could have a decent hatchery. Only problem is, it doesn't grow too fast where I put it; it's a little shady there and surrounded by this towering Veronicastrum Virginicum that needs to be divided.

I grew the Verbena Bonariensis from Hardy Plant Society Seed two years ago and one of them survived the winter, many others are popping up all over, even in my pots in the backyard which gets minimal sun. This is a good butterfly nectar plant as is pink milkweed. Today's E. Tiger Swallowtail ignored the butterfly bush and nectared on the Verbena and the Milkweed.