Beth's Patch ~ Sleepy Orange Butterfly

  This year has been exciting because the Sleepy Orange butterfly arrived in my yard in late August.  It's the first year that they have actually hung around and laid eggs on the Cassia given to me by Jim  D last year. And since then they have completed their lifecycle here in my yard.  This is the 14th species to complete their lifecycle in my yard.

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sleepy Orange Butterfly laying eggs

Sulphur species eggs - Both Cloudless Sulphur butterfly and Sleepy Orange butterfly eggs

Sleepy Orange caterpillar

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis to chrysalis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly metamorphosis to chrysalis 24 hr later

Sleepy Orange Butterfly chrysalis 72 hrs later

Sleepy Orange chrysalis 10:30 AM with the butterfly almost ready to eclose. 3 hours later this Sleepy Orange butterfly was out and waiting for the wings to dry before flying off. So fun to see. Also, this butterfly was dime-sized with the wings closed when I came back after lunch and was still pumping up the wings.

Sleepy Orange just before eclosing

Sleepy Orange butterfly just after eclosing