Sherry, if anyone should invest in a good camera, it's YOU with all the amazing lep action that comes your way.

...and the great thing about digital cameras is you can get great cameras at a fraction of the price they used to be.

Taker a look on amazon.com. The customer reviews really help. I know there are some good threads on here about cameras too.

Tony

I just recently planted some Ruellia humilis (the native petunia up here) for the same reason! I want buckeyes to use my plant to lay eggs on! A small Buckeye was one of my first butterflies this year. Right now though, it's like there's a bubble over top of me...I see hardly anything. An occasional skipper or cabbage white...but other than that, nadda. Really weird.

As for cameras, I used Amazon to read the reviews and took those with a grain of salt. IMHO, there's too many people that think a bad photo is a good photo and so give a good review of a not so good camera. There's also a lot of people that simply want it on auto, just point and shoot. It's also hard to find reviews about the macro setting on-line. I researched on-line, then headed to Best Buy. I went to Wal-Mart, but the majority of their cameras were really low end and didn't have batteries in them, so I couldn't play with them at all. The person in that dept. wasn't too helpful, not willing to put in batteries, didn't know anything about the different cameras, etc. etc. I wish you good luck in your search!

Sherry,

Go to BH Photo on the internet and read all the reviews and specs for the different cameras. You may also find that they have the best prices. I purchase most of my equipment from them.

BTW, I absolutely love my new Canon Rebel T2i with a 18-135 lens that has macro. The lens is incredible and has Image Stabilization. I will be posting photos that I took with this camera soon.

sandy

Thanks Terry, Tony, and Sandy!

I'm interested in a Panasonic model that has a touch screen. According to the info, you can make photographs using the macro mode at 1" from the subject. This is what I really want to be able to do. The camera I've got now goes totally blurry when you get up that close. This camera is a little less expensive than the one Mary has, but then hers does things I'm not interested in doing. B&H has the best price, plus free shipping, so I'll definitely get it there if I get it. There are no reviews of it on the B&H site, but there is one review of it on Amazon, and it's a 5-star review.

Anybody ever had a camera with a touch screen? Do you like it?

Sherry

Sherry,
A pretty sure bet to attract Buckeye ovum to your garden that you might try is Plantago lanceolata or major. I've found their larva on both of them almost any place in NA I've collected if a Buckeye colony was there, and always used them as the standard to rear them on at home no matter what plant the larva were originally found on (ie, they'll easily switch to them). Both of these plaintains are found in all of America and most of Canada in disturbed areas. Another possibility commonly used by them that I've found them on many times if you have or can create the habitat for it is Ludwigia palustris or peploides, both found in most of the country. I've even found their larva completely submerged and happily feeding away on Ludwigia several inches below the water surface. Took some pictures of those, but don't remmeber if they were slides or prints so if I still have them. FWIW anyway.
L.

Buckeyes on Ludwigia? That's a surprise, Larry!
The only native Ludwigia I see around here is L. octovalvis, but I've seen some type of it growing with a larger flower - it grows in water, so it might be L. peploides. There are many Ludwigias that are listed as native to this part of the state, though, so I'll have to investigate growing some.
I've grown Plantago lanceolata, but it never got any eggs/cats on it, and it died out after a few years. The spot where I planted it wasn't the best, though, so I might try another spot. L. caroliniana grows here and there along my road, but I've never found any cats/eggs on that one either. They REALLY love Agalinis here!
The petunias will look good and provide nectar even if they don't get any eggs, so I'm going to still keep planting them, but I'll pursue the Ludwigias - it's also a host plant for one of the sphinx moths that I've seen here (banded?, can't remember) so it might do double duty.

I ordered the Panasonic - 'can't wait to get it and start using it!

Sherry

Sherry, our camcorder has a touchscreen. It's touchy, the screen is small, your fingers don't always hit the right spot, easiest inside than outside....outside easier to use manual buttons than the touchscreen because you simply can't see it!

I remember now hearing that the is plantain a host for the buckeye. But, seeing as it's a weed, and we have enough weeds as it is, I opted not to dig one up at a friends moms house..lol..

Sherry,
While Buckeyes will nectar at flowers, they much prefer and get most of what they need elsewhere. Most certainly a species can be an oligophagous feeder in the area it is at, accpet a narrow range of plants and ignore others the species uses elsewhere even if they are present. While some of the Luwigias grown in dry areas, most prefer lots of water, many are completely aquatic. Plantago seems to do best in areas that get indirect ground water, so maybe some neglect would help them along. Here in the west they are commonly found along ditch banks or dry washes, along the borders of agricultural fields, etc. And occssionally in unkept lawns. Regardless, figuring them out is part of the enjoyment.
Larry

Sandy - how are the Macro pictures on your T2i? I'm considering this camera.