October 29, 2004
End of season review
I've been really bad about updating this, and I'm not sure why. I had really intended to keep it up. I think it was because it was a bit of a disappointing year for butterflies. At least it seemed like it for my garden.
I ended up with quite a few Black Swallowtail laying eggs though. Only 2 Spicebush eggs though. No Tiger Swallowtails. Quite a few Giants however, mostly on my prickly ash, a few on my Hop Trees. More adults than last year too. No Pipevine eggs though. I had really been hoping to raise some of these this year. My Pipevine is growing fine however, and I did see some adults this year. I had one short glimpse of a Zebra Swallowtail this year. Which was better than last year, but I had been hoping for more.
I had quite a few sulfurs lay eggs on my Partridge Pea this year. Didn't find anything on the Senna though. I did see a Nathalis iole lay eggs on Coreopsis rosea, but not in my garden. I had hoped to get some Whites eggs too, but it didn't happen.
Had quite a few Monarchs again, but maybe not as many as last year.
Didn't see a Viceroy until pretty late in the year. Didn't get eggs of either Viceroys or Red spotted Purples on my willows, but I did see a Viceroy flying and landing on them like she was about too.
No Buckeye eggs, again.
No Red Admiral eggs on all the False nettle and the one stinging nettle plant I have.
Didn't see any Painted Lady caterpillars either this year, but I did see quite a few adults.
I did however see an American Lady lay eggs on the host plants I grew for it though!!! I think that was the highlight of the year!! The caterpillars seemed to have grown ok, didn't try to raise them by hand though, so I don't really know what happened to them.
A Question Mark or Comma did lay some eggs on my false nettle though. I was only able to find one of them. It hatched, but died in a few days. I didn't see any other caterpillars in the false nettle patch.
Still have never seen a Mourning Cloak.
Saw a couple Pearl Crescents around, but no sign of eggs on my asters.
I saw more Great Spangled Fritillaries this year than in the past. Especially early in the summer on Purple Cone Flowers. Didn't see any Variegated Fritillaries this year though. My passion vine grew great this year though, it bloomed, but formed no fruit.
Saw a number of Hackberry adults, but no Tawny Emperors this year.
No Satyrs, although I grew host plants for them, but I knew that was a longshot.
I did see a Red-Banded Hairstreak. Got some pictures of it. And a Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta).
That's about it. Sometime this winter I will add some more butterfly and plant pages for the new species I saw or grew.
The only other butterfly thing I did was to create some butterfly calendars through Cafepress:
Butterflies 2005: Collection 1 - Free and Fanciful
Butterflies 2005: Collection 2 - Bright and Beautiful
Butterflies 2005: Collection 3 - Cool and Colorful
Butterflies 2005: Collection 4 - Light and Lively