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rickinla_gw

If Nothing Else The Gulf Fritillaries Are Here

rickinla
10 years ago

I'm still not seeing much activity south of I-10, but I do have Gulf Fritillary cats on my Passion Vines and an ELF was visiting this morning. She's not particular at all, placing eggs on all varieties.

Comments (12)

  • MissSherry
    10 years ago

    That's great, Rick!!

    There were two nectaring in my garden this afternoon - I'm hoping for eggs soon.

    What kind of passionvine is that in the picture?

    Sherry

  • bandjzmom
    10 years ago

    That is terrific news! I haven't seen one yet here in zone 7a, and my Passionvine is sooo ready for them!
    Angie

  • rickinla
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That is P. Edulis "Florida Home", they really like the P. Incense and my young P. Incarnata.

  • rickinla
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Found a few cats, between the wasps and assassin bugs, it's hard to get a population going.

  • Leafhead
    10 years ago

    Hopefully the cats win the race:)

  • alex928 Z8/LA
    10 years ago

    Lovely! I probably won't see any here until late summer or fall. They seem to have a thing for the lantana bushes. That's usually where I see them when they're nectaring. :)

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    10 years ago

    Nice shots. Hope those cats make it!

  • rickinla
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Well, I thought I'd give a little better odds to a few and put a couple of small ones in cages. I also sent my granddaughter home with a cage, a cutting, and a small cat. I found a 5th instar today and sent it to my granddaughter, along with another cage and cutting; and just so she wouldn't run out of cuttings, I sent along a 5' tall potted Incarnata.

    The wasps seem to leave the larger ones alone, so they're still on the vines. I should get a few adults from all these, as well as cultivate a future butterfly gardener.

    The little guy pictured is about 1/2" long.

  • MissSherry
    10 years ago

    Great, Rick! I think it's wonderful that you're introducing your granddaughter to raising caterpillars!

    I got my first gulf frit eggs today - so far I've only found two, but there are probably more than that, and she'll undoubtedly come back and lay some more. I've never known gulf frits to do anything in small numbers. :)

    Sherry

  • rickinla
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Sherry, I saw your other post, but I couldn't find the "LIKE" button; good luck with the Frits. I counted 6 still on the vines, with 4 in cages; I might have missed a few but I looked pretty thoroughly. Still not the numbers I'm used to, and I'm still not seeing many other varieties.

  • rickinla
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Male or female? It's just nectaring, not paying any attention to the passion vines.

  • MissSherry
    10 years ago

    She looks like a tawny female to me, but I suppose it could be a faded male. I think it's a female.

    Sherry

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