Thanks for the reminder, Susan. I'll have to check the dish tomorrow and see if there is any action. My Goatweed Leafwing Caterpillars are getting close to pupating. Released two Am Ladies today.

The fruit feeder has been the highlight of my butterfly/moth season this year, with so few other butterflies flying around. I did see a Silvery Checkerspot the last couple of days, nectaring on and flying around the coneflowers. You'd think they would find my "oasis" in the city with so much drought. I kinda figured the wildflowers are not doing a whole lot in the rural areas to attract them, assuming the butterflies are searching for food there.

Do you have pics posted on your pbase pages of the Goatweed Leafwing? I will have to check them out.

I had two Black Swallowtails emerge from their chrysalids, one in the False Nettle patch and one on the 4 o'clocks the last couple of days. Both were huge males.

Have you seen Nessus sphinx in your vicinity? If you do, you will love them! They are so cute. They are smaller sphinx moths, just a little larger than the Snowberry Clearwing. And they are gorgeous! The two white lines across the abdomen will catch your attention immediately. When I last checked them last night, one had pretty much buried his head in the banana and only his little booty was sticking out! LOL!

I got the Calotropis gigantea and the Purple Milkweed planted out. Something got one of the Sullivanti's. I hated that! The other one is sending up another sprout, though. I potted up the butterfly bush into a 2 gal. container. The passion vine is doing great, as is the A. tomentosa. I will plant those in a bit.

I planted some Japanese MGs and one of them is blooming....well, kind of. It sends out these huge bloom pods that are a deep purplish blue, but they don't open. What's up with that? Also, my MGs have been attacked by some kind of moth larvae that cut the petiole of a leaf and fold a port of the leaf over. I have been squishing them because I don't know what they are - only that they are destroying the MGs, shredding the leaves, and making a mess of the vines. I had Golden Tortoise beetles earlier, but they weren't doing much damage and they are so striking.

After we talked "bugs" one day, I went out and found two wheel bugs on the sunflowers. I got one, but the other got away. I supposed I will have more if they were male and female and the female layed eggs. My sunflowers are doing so well and the bees just love them. I can honestly say it is a "bee year" for me. I have had so many different species of bees and wasps, both small and large, including that huge Cicada Killer. They scare me due to their sheer size, even tho supposedly they are not aggressive. I didn't realize they are actually nectarers and they only use the locusts as a host for their eggs and nymphs.

Sorry to ramble on. Despite the lack of some species of butterflies, the garden teems with life!

If you do find the Nessus sphinx in your garden - they are diurnal moths - and since you have Virginia Creeper - you may get eggs and larvae. These cats tend to descend the vine in the evening to feed on foliage near or at ground level. In early morning they ascend to hide among the stems during the daytime hours. Very easy to raise.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Amphion floridensis aka Nessus Sphinx

Please give me some information on your fruit feeders. I have looked online and found directions for making one using a plastic tray from the bottom of a flower pot... is that what you ladies have? And do you mash the bananas and/or mix them with anything as some sites have suggested or do you just stick them out there whole? This is one area I have not ventured into yet but want to... but I like to do a lot of homework before I try anything new so as to ensure some kind of success.

Thank you in advance for your help!

PS - I have had lots and lots of wasps and bees too - in fact tons of honey bees this year which has been good to see!! Cicada killers are out in full force in our yard too but we actually do kill ours (using a tennis racket and a quick shoed-foot.) The reason? Because two years ago the mailman, UPS man, neighbors yard man, etc. all refused to stop at three houses on our block because of them. So we've gone about flooding their holes with water, swatting them, etc and finally got them down to a manageable number that doesn't scare the rest of the world.

~Laura

Laura, people for whom a bee sting is likely a life or death situation, probably fear them even more than I do. Can't blame them. But most of it is that they just don't know much, if anything, about them. I usually try to read up on insects I find in the garden so I know what I am dealing with first. I try not to kill anything unless I know what it is first. And, of course, I don't use pesticides in a butterfly/moth garden anyway. But the CKs are frightening in appearance, and they tend to come a bit close to me when they are making a pass thru the garden. Yikes! They will sting if they are defending their nests or if being attacked - that's my understanding. I would hate to feel the bite of that sting!

I don't use a "fruit feeder" or "plate" per se. I do use a suet feeder and just cram the mushy black bananas or other fruit in them. Right now I have a huge bag of about 5 lbs of bananas in a plastic bag that I just stretched open wide and a mixed fruit bag of rotting fruit like watermelon, grapes, other melons and bananas in a large storage bag that I cut in half and the fruit is exposed enough that the butterflies and moths can access it. Nothing fancy about it for me. If your garden is well manicured, you might want to use a plate. If you have seen those cheap bird feeders that consist of a flat plate hanging from 3 chains, those work well, too. I like for my suet feeder and bags to be close to me where I sit outside so I can easily observe the takers. If your fruit is not quite ripe enough, I put it in a plastic bag and let it sit in the sun for a day, and the ethylene gases will build up and facilitate the rotting process so that it is usable in the next day or two.

The fruit feeding butterflies in Oklahoma include the Hackberry and Tawny Emperors, Question Marks, Mourning Cloaks in the fall, Red Admirals, Red Spotted Purples, and Viceroys. I don't get the last 2 because I live in the city and they are a more rural species preferring life along river beds and lakes. I have seen them, but only a couple of times in 10 years.

....and don't forget the day flying moths that will use the feeders, too. They probably attract some diurnal moths as well, but I'm snoring away then, lol!

The feeders will also attract ants, flies, wasps on occasion, and other bugs. That's why I prefer the hanging suet feeder. It doesn't stop the flies. I just put vaseline on the hanging wire so the ants can't climb down to the food. However, I just saw a feeder moat created by using a large saucer for plants, an overturned pot in the middle, and a smaller saucer on top to hold the fruit. Fill the bottom with water, and you have a moat to prevent the ants from crawling.

I think Mike Cronin has instructions on our FAQs on making a feeder, too.

I don't mind all the other critters in the food, and it certainly doesn't bother the butterflies at all. But I realize that it may bother some. It's just a matter of figuring out what works best for you.

Susan

I did tons of research on the Cicada Killers before we ever started trying to "manage" them. The females actually do have a large stinger but they don't inject any chemical (from what I read) so there is no pain/swelling/etc with their sting like wasps and bees. Not sure about folks who have allergies/anaphylactic shock reactions to stings though. We had probably 100 or more cruising around the yard before we did anything. We still have them now, but not nearly to that extent. I do understand why the delivery guys and postman wanted us to do something - it is quite intimidating to have them buzz about you in that number, even when you *know* they can't really harm you. A secondary note is that we also had the cowkillers coming along in pretty good numbers, which prey on CK larva by laying their eggs on them. Problem there is we live in the city, in a neighborhood where people walk around in sandals or barefeet, plus three chihuahuas and those cowkillers have a ferocious sting (thus the name.) SO...

I happen to have some very ripe (overripe) nectarines and peaches right now - and a suet feeder that is not in use, so I may just give it a whirl. Thanks for the advice!!!

~Laura

Oh - one more question! Please!

Better in the sun or the shade? I'm guessing things drying out pretty quickly in the sun but I don't have much shade (I can find a shady spot if that's better but it won't be very easy to see it.)

~Laura

I don't know if it matters, but I have mine in a shady pot next to a shrub. That way the fruit doesn't dry out too fast. Haven't had many feeders at the fruit plates this year, but I always find fall to be a busy season.

Hi Susan,
Remember the Tropical Asclepias seeds you sent me? Well, I planted them in a large pot and when they sprouted, I pricked out all but a few of the largest ones and have been letting them grow. They have not been doing well. They try to put on few buds, but the buds never open. At first, I thought I was pampering them too much, but if I skip a couple of days of watering, they wilt. Then I thought they might have spider mite, but I can't see any. Here's pic, not very good because wind is blowing so hard, the pic isn't real clear:
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Also, my Cardinal Vine is not blooming, and the vine is very healthy. I've even been feeding with Bloom Booster. When are they supposed to bloom?

I, too, have one of those large green suet feeders I'm not using. Where do you get your over-ripe fruit? Surely, you don't buy good fruit just to rot. HA. I really haven't seen many butterflies this year. Poor things! It is SO hot!

Am SO ready for Fall! I'm surrounded by a sea of crunchy beige. I'm trying to keep flowers watered, but they really look straggly. Have had deer problems, gophermolevole problems and am having things dying this year that SHOULD be standing up to this incessant heat.......

Jeanie

More lucky people. I spent 3 summers in Lawton, OK back in '72-'74. First time I ever got to see CKs (or cicadas). Found a female cow killer during one of those summers during a sidetrip. Brought it back to OH to show all my friends. It chewed its way out of my container in Oak Harbor, OH. Fortunately, Oak Harbor was not taken over by cow killers (but I think they cannot take the cold).

In the mid '80s, CKs (and cicadas) appeared in northwestern and central Ohio (which already had cicadas). Saw them for maybe 7 years and then nothing since.

KC

I always have a very low number of CKs in my yard. They are nectarers, too, so I suppose they like the butterfly garden for that reason.

I think Oklahoma is the heart of Cicada-land. They make quite a bit of noise this time of year, so there is plenty of food for the CKs. I don't like them because I always visualize them getting stuck in my hair during one of their seemingly aimless flight maneuvers. Yikes!

My fruit feeders are in shade for the better part of the day. They do get some limited sun. Sun will dry them out, especially right now with the heat we have.

I counted 37 Hackberry Emperors, 2 or 3 Tawny Emperors, and my large female QM at the feeder today.

Susan

Wow!! That's quite a lot of butterflies at the feeder! I checked mine last night and found 4 HEs. I also think there was a RSP hanging around that got scared off when I approached. Got a little rain yesterday, and it's cooler this morning, but the sun is out now and the temps are climbing. Did you get rain? It looked like OKC got some during the night.

Sandy, this morning I had 4 Nessus Sphinx moths. I am getting large numbers of HEs, that's for sure. I bought another 5 lb bag of bananas for $1 at Homeland the other day, and it will be ready to go soon to replace the other bags.

Susan

Susan,

That's exciting about your Nessus. I had a Pandorus Sphinx on my patio last night. I showed it to Daughter and grandsons. It was incredibly beautiful! I need to get some bananas out--I put out some mixed fruit cups. I have a large QM as well as the HEs.

Got a knee brace today, MRI next week. Knee is really acting up. So, I haven't been able to get outside much.

Sandy

Sandy, I know you've been having trouble with the knees, but I also know you're not looking forward to the surgery. Think of all you'll be able to do with that "robotic" knee, LOL! You'll be even more of a Wonder Woman than you are now!

I wish you would see some of the Nessus. They are diurnal. I see them off and on during the day, but mostly at dawn and dusk. You will fall in love!

Had a Red Admiral female today, feeding on fruit and laying eggs. I have some kind of little black bug on my False Nettle this year, though, and I think they may be eating the eggs and tiny cats. I try to squish them, but they are incredibly fast. Once you nab one of them, they are on the lookout for you.

I have so many different kinds of critters this year. I have these large dragonflies every year that hover over the garden. Since they are predators of butterflies, etc., I imagine they choose my garden as a home base!

Today I saw a very long-legged wasp, or what appeared "wasp like" to me. The thorax is striped, longitudinally, with brown and yellow - it's pretty small. The wings, at rest, are tucked and folded over the abdomen. I have no clue what it is. I have another thing that looks like a modified, short, stumpy dragonfly, too. I need to take photos, but I am so unhappy with my camera, that I don't even want to bother.

I have these gigantic black wasps that nectar as well. They are beautiful, but kinda scary. They are so black, they look blue in different light and different angles.

The thing I have the least of this year, thank goodness, is the milkweed leaf beetles, the round, fat ones. I have found very few.

Jeanie, my Cardinal Vine is not blooming yet either. First year I have grown it. Also have Cypress Vine that is not blooming either. I have what I know would be gorgeous blooms on a JP morning glory, but they won't open. They just bud up and stay that way.

It's been really tough trying to water the garden adequately this month, with Jess having been in the hospital, and taking care of her and the kids several days a week. I hope I get some time this weekend to play catch up.

I like to use the bananas. I buy a bag before I am going to need it, and let it ripen to black, and then put it out. This can be hastened by putting them in a plastic bag and tying off the end, and putting out in the sun for a day or so, if you need it quicker than letting them ripen in the shade or indoors. I find 5 lbs of bananas cheaper than buying fruit cups, but I know some folks prefer those over the rotting fruit, or meat as Cathy does.

Someone last year said that they put theirs in the freezer and then take them out after frozen and let them thaw out. This will supposedly hasten the ripening process as well. You just need to get those ethylene gases do their job.

Susan