Yes Melanie I could see that as startling or shocking ) ( "depends" ) on what you were doing at the time
Yeah once again , then I will quit editing ,
Melanie , your post above , I was sitting and thinking about that happening , while I was having my Coffee and apple butter on dark toast ,, super gross ,, wow ,

Very cool Melanie about the Plume moth. Neato.

Butterfly meconium is one thing but baby meconium ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Melanie , good info about the merconium and the moth info is interesting also
I was wondering earlier before . about your SWT cats , do you ever do, or does the museum have an entomologist who does forensic science on the BF's and the Larvae ?
Sorry that they did not make it . I have not had that happen like those numbers to me , Of about a Dozen BSWT I did lose two or three a few years ago .

Butterfly meconium--now I feel like I've missed out

Jim, it's cute that you think the museum has a budget. No, the butterfly exhibit has one full-timer and one part-timer. They do have microscopes and do a lot of research on their own, but I imagine the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Studies up at UF in Gainesville would know more about that kind of thing. The part-timer we have is also the social media manager for Birds and Blooms magazine and has a lot of knowledge. Today on Facebook she was showing off her new toy which is a digital microscope. She's currently dissecting deceased butterflies, taking pictures of their parts, and posting the pictures on Facebook. It's pretty awesome. I was thinking I need to buy me one of those toys. The pictures she took of some butterfly eggs were amazing! I'm going to go do some research on Amazon...

Melanie I thought you said you sold Butterflies or their eggs some time back , oh well , I know that would only cover the plants and food and cleaning the cages , even if most is volunteer .
I have a small microscope , I use to build spectrographtometers , changed to spectrograph meters since , (you to have a security government license , to register the use of the first )
Digital goes on forever ,, Dissection goes to far for my ability anymore , all that teeny , tiny , tedious ,, uh , yeah ,,,

No, I don't really believe in selling butterflies or eggs. I understand the butterfly farms that raise them for scientific purposes like sales to museums and other exhibits, but I don't believe in wedding releases or things like that. We've done enough damage putting insects where they don't belong and just messing with nature in general. That's one reason I like MOSI. We only raise native Florida butterflies. It may not be as visually stunning as the museums that have all the tropical species, but it's nice to be able to tell the locals how to build a garden so they can attract the exact same species they see at the museum.

Well Melanie I gues that rules out asking you for sulpher eggs Seems the not so funny is I keep going back to the worms thing with you , Don't I ,

I took this at sunset here , a few minutes ago , it was by itself , flew away just after , joining a few flying at tree top level , heading to the south southwest ,

Those Silver Spotted Skippers continue to dominate the BF skies here. Today they amassed on the Great Blue Lobelia and the blue flowered Golden Dew Drop.



2 -->

3 of them here -->

5 -->-






American Snout on Boneset


Skipper on Boneset

That's a lot of skippers Jack. I have only seen a couple of Skippers this year.

There certainly is a lot right now, at least in my limited environment.
Within a couple of weeks I hope to experience the Monarch migration extravagance.

Jim, the Monarchs are supposed to be migrating. Don't worry, they'll be back!

I know I should be grateful for my Long-Tailed and Dorantes Skippers but I still want some Silver-Spotted Skippers! I get them every so often but it's not often enough! I've never seen a Snout in real life, either. And Jack, I can't believe your Golden Dewdrop is still blooming! Mine is all berries right now.

Tomorrow I'm going to put on some long pants and shoes with actual support and go rustle up more Phaeon Crescent eggs and caterpillars. Oh, and I'm going to put on sunscreen this time! I've really got to learn that going outside for "just a few minutes" never actually happens when I'm out there. Too many pretty things to distract me!

Lucky you!

I did see this beat up Fritillary today and a few Cabbage Whites.

I see I loaded the Am Snout up twice. Well, here's the one that should have been there.

great skipper photos J!

Margaret--that is a *very nice* fritillary you have there!!

We don't get many fritillaries here--they are only 'temporary colonists' here. We get tons of skippers, though. Besides the skippers and cabbage whites, what I've seen most of this season are the Eastern Tiger Swallowtails--so pretty.

Thanks Robin. I would love to see more of the Tiger Swallowtails here, we get the western version, I did see a few in my garden but they never sat still long enough for a photo, they went high up in the willow tree which I believe is a host plant.

Here there are several I have being trying to photo , That I don't seem to be able too , pearly eye , Northern Metalmark . When I watch all the time , I see a few that aren't listed here .
Here are the usual
Cabbage White , A small Blue , A couple Skippers , their all still here as are Pearl Crescent
Cabbage looper and the Mint Moth ,

Here are Sliver Spotted Skipper
and one of two Monarch , this morning

Jackpot this morning!

Sulphurs on boneset:





double Sulphurs





More singles






In flight

Monarch


on Asters
Sulphur Cabbage White

Silver Spotted Skipper on 'Sapphire Showers'

Yay J!

jmorth , I love Sulphurs , Always did
Other photo's are nice also

Sulphers start to migrate this time of year also , I do not ever see many , I like them when they glide about