Painted ladies!

I am raising Painted ladies this winter. Through the generosity of a fellow butterfly-lover in Northern Virginia, who wound up with too many of the little beauties, I became the recipient of a few hundred Painted lady chrysalises. They have nearly all emerged in the cage and I am feeding them cantaloupe, orange and apple slices. I now have two hollyhock leaves full of little blue eggs, which should hatch in the next day or two. These are pretty little butterflies, very frisky, and fun to watch.

I hope to be able to display some of them in January when I will be in the Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard Bridal Showcase as an exhibitor.

I will also be representing Social Butterflies as a guest speaker at the end of February at the Capital Home and Garden Show, at the Dulles Expo Center in the Washington, DC area. I should have the third or fourth generation of these Painted ladies ready to display then.

Seeds for next year's butterfly garden

I was packing some seeds I collected this fall. These are host and nectar plant seeds that I sell to my customers. I found out the hard way that it is best to let them dry thoroughly before sealing them in small bags. The fennel seeds had mildewed and I had to throw them out. I also have seeds from Black-eyed Susans, Cosmos, Coreopsis, Verbena, Marigold, Crocosmia, Hop tree, Tropical and Common Milkweed, Oregano, Mexican Sunflower, and Catnip.

An "apple" butterfly

http://md15.embarq.synacor.com/service/home/~/image0011.jpg?auth=co&id=20700&part=1.2

Have you ever seen an "apple" butterfly?

Monarch is driven from NY to FL by trucker

Check this out:
http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-28/1227192556280920.xml&storylist=state

This is a hearwarming tale of how some Good Samaritans fixed a monarch's broken wing, nursed it back to health, and found it a ride to warmer climes.

Social Butterflies loves stories like this one!

Wishing for butterflies?

Is it cold where you are now? Here in Central Virginia, a big cold front will be pushing through in a day or so and we're in for some abnormally cold temperatures for the next week.
Are you wishing that it was spring and that your flowers were starting to bloom? You would like to see some early spring butterflies? Well, here are a few suggestions on how to get through the winter, even though the snow may be deep and the ice on your windshield tells you something different.
Visit a butterfly exhibit. Search for one on the internet close to you. Many stay open year-round and you will appreciate the warm temperatures inside, along with the tropical atmosphere and of course, all those beautiful butterflies flying around. My first experience years ago in a butterfly exhibit was at Callaway Gardens in Georgia. It was like a wonderland! I could have spent hours there. Since they are so popular, many are opening all the time.
Buy a field guide to butterflies. Filled with valuable information, as well as stunning photos of butterflies, you will almost feel like you are outside, with your camera, searching for native butterflies in your yard or the nearest park. A terrific book for all ages is The Family Butterfly Book, by Rick Mikula. I use mine all the time. It costs approx. $15, plus shipping. Buy one now through Social Butterflies' website: www.socialbtrflies.com.
Start planning for next year's butterfly garden. Think about adding another butterfly bush and appropriate host plants to your yard. Host plants are those that butterfly caterpillars eat. You will be able to observe the entire lifecycle many times if you have a garden filled with host and nectar plants.
Use your computer to search for butterflies and butterfly information. Learn something new about those butterflies in your area so you will be able to identify them next year.
Think warm! Enjoy the quietness of winter's beauty. Observe the birds. Look for tracks in the snow. Make a snow butterfly!

Association For Butterflies symposium

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.

Butterfly flowers are still blooming

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.

End of the season butterflies

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!

Red Admiral adopts Washington, D.C. area man

Check this out: The Butterfly Effect ~

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081502356_3.html=features1&hpv=national

August's Swallowtails

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.

Imperial Moth saved from hungry bird!

Yesterday as I was in my car at the drive through window of the bank, I noticed a bird in the parking lot seemingly playing with something big and yellow. This caught my attention as I was waiting for my transaction. The bird would pick up the object in its mouth and try to fly away and then drop it on the pavement. This happened several times. Whatever the bird was trying to catch would flop around on the asphalt until the next assault by the bird. It finally picked it up again and flew away about 100 feet and again dropped it. By this time, I was finished at the bank and I drove over to where the bird was and got out of the car. The bird hopped away, but was still watchful. I discovered the yellow object was actually an Imperial Moth, which was still alive, but just barely. I put it in my car and drove it home. I thought if it didn't live, I would use it in my butterfly programs to show my audiences what one looked like. I was in a hurry, so I put it into a glassine envelope and then into a sealed container in the refrigerator. Tonight I took it out and placed it outside close to the house. I'll see in the morning if it's still there or if it flew away.

Busy butterfly season!

This has been the busiest butterfly season I've had. I have raised more butterflies and sold more butterflies than ever before. More people are becoming aware of butterfly releases and since there are so few people who are butterfly farmers, sometimes there are not enough butterflies to go around. An article appeared in today's Washington Post magazine about Social Butterflies: www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/01/AR2008070101828.html?nav=hcmodule
Check it out!

Black swallowtails are laying eggs!

Those black swallowtails have been laying eggs on my fennel. I've collected about 60 eggs lately and am raising them in covered containers. The fennel is about 3 feet high and I will cut about half of it to the ground soon. There is so much of it, it's about taken over a good part of the flower garden. As a perennial, it should come with a warning label ~ "Beware! Fennel spreads rapidly!" I don't mind since it does attract so many black swallowtails. Once emerged as adults, they are very striking when released from a container all at once. I'll try to dry some of the leaves when I cut it. I will collect the seeds in the fall, also. I use the seeds to season sauces, especially tomato sauces.

Florida Keys butterflies

The same trip to the Florida Keys allowed me to see butterflies I never see flying in the wild in Virginia. In a state park, there were many Zebra Longwings, some Gulf Fritillaries and Julias. The park's butterfly garden also looked nothing like the one that I maintain in Virginia. It was mostly wild and untamed native plants, rather than tended flower beds. The flowers were rather inconsequential, but the butterflies were nectaring on them. It just goes to show that a person cannot think all butterfly attractants are the same everywhere. The tropical flowers were all very lush and fragrant in people's yards, but I never saw a butterfly fluttering around them.

On a recent trip to the Florida Keys, we flew into Ft. Lauderdale. Walking through the airport, the floor had a mosaic pattern which included many mosiac Zebra Longwings, the Florida state butterfly. This immediately caught my eye! The Zebras are beautiful, slow flyers, native to the southern states. When released, they have a graceful flight. They also live longer than most other butterflies. They nectar mostly on the pollen of flowers. The females lay their eggs on the tips of Passionvine. If I lived further south, I'd raise as many of them as I could.

Broccoli to plant for the Cabbage Whites

Early spring in Central Virginia and I am seeing Sulphurs and Cabbage Whites almost every day. I bought some broccoli to plant in the garden to try to attract some Whites to raise this year. I may plant some cabbage also. This would be a new venture for me, but I've read it is easy to raise the Whites. And if there are some vegetables left, that would be good for the humans, too!
I now have seen two Tiger Swallowtails flying. This has been a cool and rainy spring, so I am hoping to see some Black Swallowtails soon.

Sighting a Tiger Swallowtail on March 22!

A Tiger Swallowtail on March 22! I was so surprised to see one flying today! Usually they appear in mid-April. The temps were close to 60 degrees today, with sunshine and some wind, but this one was flying close to 15 feet above the ground. There is a mature willow tree near where I saw it, so it could be an early emerger. Spring may finally be here in Central Virginia!

Finally, they are coming back to Central Virginia!

Butterflies are starting to show up in Central Virginia. I have seen several sulphurs and cabbage whites. Today I saw either a Question Mark or a Comma. I was wondering what they were nectaring on since all that is blooming are daffodils now. Then I started looking around and saw there are a few dandelions in the grass, the rosemary has many blooms, and the henbit is also blooming. I looked up at the maple trees, which are just starting to bloom out and there was the Question Mark/Comma nectaring on that!

No neat and tidy butterfly gardens!

Are you one of those people who feel that they have to conform to "standard" gardening practices? Do you believe that you should follow the "experts" who dictate which flower colors are "in" or "out" this year? Does a weed in your flower bed send you into cardiac arrest? Well, here's some news....if you want to attract butterflies, you can discard all those notions. Butterflies don't care if your garden is neat and tidy, if your flowers are all the same shade of pink, or if there is a thistle growing among the cosmos. In fact, leaving a few weeds in place may help attract even more species of butterflies. A prickly thistle is not only a fine nectar plant, but a host plant for Painted Ladies. A dandelion provides nectar early in the spring, when you might not have many other plants blooming. Wild violets are not only pretty, but are the host plants for Great Spangled Fritillaries, those large and colorful flutterers that appear in June. Of course, you don't want your carefully tended flower areas to begin looking sad and neglected, but it certainly won't hurt to purposely leave some Queen Anne's Lace for the black swallowtails or clover as another nectar source. A weed is only a plant for which a use has yet to be discovered. If you want more butterflies this year, research information about weeds and wildflowers before assaulting them with hoes, rakes or herbicides.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History Butterfly Exhibit

The Smithsonian has opened its new butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. If you are in the Washington D.C. area, it is well worth visiting. You may want to call ahead to reserve your tickets, unless you like standing in line for long periods of time. When it is cold outside, the exhibit provides a refreshing whiff of springtime with temperatures at a constant 80 degrees. Once inside, you will be surrounded by many flying butterflies, most of them tropical. Brightly colored flitting creatures will land on you and nectar from the many flowers provided for them. You will also see a small enclosed cage where various chrysalises are hanging, waiting to emerge as adults. Only 35 people can be admitted at one time, but you are not limited to the time you may spend inside. I could have spent much more time there, but we were on a schedule. The charge is minimal to enter. You may want to check out some of the other exhibits in the Museum, too. Most are fascinating.

Interesting butterfly facts

Butterflies are interesting insects. Here are a dozen facts you may not know about them:
1. Most butterflies live for only 2-3 weeks as adults
2. Monarchs born at the end of summer migrate to Central Mexico for the winter, or to coastal California, if born on the west side of the Rocky Mountains.
3. A butterfly egg is about as big as a period on a printed page.
4. Some butterflies have "eyespots" on their wings, which look like real eyes. These are used to fool their predators. Birds, especially, may think twice about grabbing something that looks like an owl.
5. Sometimes you can see a damp spot or area with salts on a pathway or road with a group of butterflies imbibing the liquid. This is called "puddling" and those butterflies are mostly males, gathering the nutrients from the soil.
6. Wooden butterfly houses used as garden decorations usually attract wasps, rather than butterflies.
7. You can pick up a butterfly by holding it by its "shoulders" if it had shoulders. Hold it close to its body, so the wings aren't damaged. If a few scales rub off, it won't hurt the butterfly.
8. A butterfly can fly with half a wing.
9. Butterflies taste with their feet.
10. The beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly is called a Camberwell Beauty in England.
11. Butterflies will nectar on Gatorade and a sugar water solution.
12. Most butterflies need temperatures of at least 60-65 degrees to fly.

Eastern Black Swallowtails

Eastern Black Swallowtails (Papilio polyxenes) are one of my favorite butterflies. They are large and shimmering black with beautiful yellow and orange spots on their wings. I think they are interesting in all their lifecycle stages. The female lays single eggs on the upper leaves of the host plants, which can include fennel, dill, parsley, Queen Anne's lace, and members of the carrot family. When the caterpillar is young, it resembles a bird dropping, with a white saddle in the middle. This is for protection against predators. As it grows, it becomes striped with green and black stripes or bands. The caterpillar can travel quite a distance before finding a suitable place to pupate, usually on a stick. It then spins a silken girdle to hold it in place. After about a day or so, the chrysalis turns shades of brown or green. If it is fall, they go into diapause until the weather warms in the spring. In Virginia, the black swallowtails start showing up in April. Many times, I raise the caterpillars in the fall on fennel and keep the chrysalises in the refrigerator during the winter. In April I begin taking them out to emerge. When they are adults, they flitter around flowers and favor daylilies and other garden flowers. They have an extra-long proboscis that allows them to nectar from long-necked flowers. When they are being released at a special occasion, it is an extraordinary sight to see all of these beautiful black creatures emerge from a release container or individually from release envelopes. It is stunning!

Moths or butterflies?

There are several ways to tell the difference between moths and butterflies. These "rules" don't apply to ALL situations, but are just a general guideline. Moths typically fly at night and butterflies during the day. Moths tend to have drab colors, usually shades of brown and gray, but again, there are some vividly-colored moths. Moths make cocoons and butterflies make chrysalises. Moths have feathery antennae while butterflies have "clubs" on the ends of their antennae. Moths usually have thick bodies, while most butterflies' bodies are slim. Moths rest with their wings outstretched and butterflies with their wings closed over their bodies. And, at special events, people release butterflies, not moths! The photo is of a Luna Moth.

Winter butterfly garden planning

Here in Virginia, it's the middle of winter with the temps in the low 20s and not much higher during the day. It's too cold to even go outside, but I can plan for those warmer months just by looking through the seed catalogs that have been delivered lately. A good one is Wildseed Farms from Fredericksburg, TX. Besides offering a very good selection of butterfly plants and flowers, they give a lot of good information, including the percentage of average planting success with a certain species, the soil temp, germination time, blooming period, how many seeds are in a pound, and suggested uses. For example, Yellow Cosmos (Asteraceae) is an annnual, good for the entire United States, with an average success rate of 80%. I know this is a good butterfly attractant and it's easy to grow. You can buy it by the pound, 1/4 lb., 1 oz., or packet. There are also mixtures designed for specific areas of the country, each containing about 24 different seeds. These wildflower mixes may be good for meadows (and for people with patience), but I'd recommend instead purchasing seeds in packets. If you know which flowers would attract butterflies, buy those seeds and then they can be planted in groups which is important if you want to see butterflies this summer. A grouping of the same flower will more likely attract the winged ones instead of an assortment of 20 different ones scattered over an area. If you are looking for a mixture, Wildseed Farms is the place to buy one. There are no fillers in the mix; they are pure seeds. If you go into one of the big box stores, pick up a wildflower (or butterfly) mix. Look at the back of the can and you'll see most of the contents are filler. Many do not include that many butterfly flowers, either. So, happy planning!

The Association For Butterflies

Are you interested in the welfare of butterflies? Do you want to learn about butterfly releases, gardening for butterflies or the conservation of butterflies? You might consider joining the Association For Butterflies - www.forbutterflies.org. This group has been in existence for close to 2 years. Founded by several butterfly breeders, it is open to hobbiests, those who just like butterflies, those who breed and sell butterflies and others. The nominal dues are used for conservation projects, to promote the study of butterfly diseases and butterfly releases. A membership application is available on the site. Check it out!

How do butterflies get their names?

Have you ever wondered why certain butterflies have such unusual names? In looking through my field guide, here are a few that seem to defy explanation: Broken Silverdrop, Creole Pearly-Eye, California Sister, Fatal Metalmark, Hoary Elfin, Southern Dogface, Cobweb Skipper, Mexican Eighty-Eight, Painted Lady, Mourning Cloak, Frosted Flasher and Blue-Eyed Sailor. Where do these names come from?

Well, some are named after what the caterpillars eat. For example, the Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar eats the leaves of the Spicebush plant. A Cabbage White eats leaves of the cabbage plant and those of the same "family".

Some are named for their behavior. For example the large family of "Skippers" are small and for the most part, non-descript. When in flight, they tend to skip from flower to flower.

Some are named for their appearance. The Painted Lady derived its name from ladies of the evening in Victorian times, who painted their cheeks with rouge and their lips with bright lipstick. The undersides of the Painted Lady's wings have bright pink spots that reminded people of these ladies. The Zebra Longwing has elongated wings with zebra-like black and white stripes running across them. The Baltimore Checkerspot is a beautiful butterfly with orange and black checkered markings, named after Lord Baltimore, whose colors were orange and black. A Mourning Cloak has beautiful almost-black wings with a fringe of off-white around the perimeter. It resembles a cloak that may have been worn by someone in mourning.

Butterfly in December in Virginia!

On the 30th day of December, 2007 in Central Virginia, I saw a cabbage white flying in the yard! The temperature was almost 60 degrees and I was astonished to see a butterfly in winter. Cabbage whites are very widespread throughout the U.S. and Canada. Its Latin name is Pieris rapae and they are very easy to raise. They are supposed to spend the cold winter months in the chrysalis form and emerge early in the spring. It has not been especially warm this past December and very rarely did the temps reach into the 50s. Some people think of them as a pest, as they eat cabbage, broccoli and some other cole crops, but I always like to see them in the spring. They are cheerful and flighty little butterflies.