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.