I went to USF Botanical Gardens again today. This time, Dad came along. And I got you guys a variety of butterflies and caterpillars to feed your appetite for all things Lepidoptera!
This Polydamas caterpillar was not supposed to be this blurry.
The Queen was still there on the same milkweed plant! I showed Dad and even he could tell the difference between it and the Monarchs once he saw one in person. Remember, three sets of tubercles instead of two!
There were several Monarchs flying around which was cool but they started getting annoying when they chased the other butterflies away.
Monarch caterpillars abounded, as well. Two sets of tubercles (the things people call antennas, but they don't get antennas until they become butterflies).
Barred Sulphur up in some Oxalis. They get that reddish look in their winter form.
Look, it's another Monarch!
This Cassius Blue stopped just long enough for me to get a picture.
It took me a while, but I finally got a picture of this Polydamas Swallowtail. When I submit this to BAMONA, I think I should just type, "EL NINO!!!" in the comments section.
I only got a blurry picture of this Duskywing because the Monarchs were being jerks. But it was good to see a Duskywing as I haven't seen one in a while.
This Cloudless Sulphur led me on a merry chase, but I caught her as she was checking out a Cassia to lay eggs on.
The only butterfly I saw that I didn't get a picture of was a Zebra Longwing. I was glad to see one of those since we had such cold weather. They flee when it gets too cold. I think it was 2009-10 where we had two bad winters in a row. I went an entire year without seeing a Zebra Longwing in the wild and it freaked me out.
