Beth's Patch ~ Gardens

  It's that time of year where Monarch's start to migrate to Mexico, some southern butterfly strays are coming up from the south to spend a while with us before the butterfly season is over and the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are here fighting amongst themselves before heading south for the winter.  There's plenty of nectar for all but even the skippers will chase the hummingbirds away from the flowers.

Guess the top monarch is too ragged to fly south

Will this Monarch make it to Mexico?  I have my doubts.

Brazilian Skipper

Brazilian Skipper

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

Beth's Patch ~ Brazilian Skipper's

I really haven't been very good in checking the gardens this year like I did last year due to a knee issue. About 2 miles away a Brazilian Skipper was seen last week so I checked out my yard. There was the skipper was posing for me on a day lily blossom. Also found were numerous eggs, and nests that had caterpillars in them on their host plant - cannas.

Brazilian Skipper

Brazilian Skipper egg at top and an empty egg case at the bottom of the canna leaf

The caterpillar uses silk that he makes to close the leaf over to make a nest for it to hide in during the day.  Nights they come out to feed on the canna leaves.

Beth's Patch ~ Brazilian Skipper

Brazilian Skipper nest

 Last year Brazilian Skippers were everywhere in Cape May County and this year there were few of them.  Their host plant is canna.  I found 3 nests in my yard late in August on my canna's in the front yard but ended up with only one viable pupa that eclosed.

Hiding in the nest is a Brazilian Skipper like this one.

Brazilian Skipper chrysalis

Brazilian Skipper

My Yard ~ Brazilian Skipper ~ Oh What a Year!

It has been the year of the Brazilian Skipper for me and much of NJ.  Several weeks ago I dug up the cannas for the winter to store in the garage. As I cut the stalks off I found over 2 dozen spent chrysalis indicating there were many more of these skippers in the yard then I originally thought.  At the time I also found another 6 chrysalises that I put into the garage.  It was amazing that any looked good with the fall winds we had been having. On November 29th, the last one eclosed and became a butterfly.  We were having OK weather at the time so he was let go and hopefully, made it South.

Brazilian Skipper caterpillar silking his nest area 11/4/18

Some of the spent Chrysalises  11/19/18

Chrysalises looking viable 11/19/18

Brazilian Skipper eclosed 11/29/18

Close-up Brazilian Skipper eclosed 11/29/18

My Yard ~ Four Southern Migrant Skippers Visit the Gardens

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Fiery Skipper

Long-tailed Skipper

Long-tailed Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Brazilian Skipper nectaring

"Thinking about mating?" ~ Brazilian Skippers

Brazilian Skipper

My Yard ~ Lifecycle of the Brazilian Skipper

The Brazilian Skipper is a butterfly that migrates up from the South of the USA usually in August.  It doesn't come every year and has only been documented as seen about a dozen times in a handful of years until this year.  First seen on May 20 and again on May 27 about 2 miles apart we have no way of knowing if it the same butterfly or 2 different butterflies.  Since then, I have seen the Brazilian Skipper in my yard where it has laid eggs on my cannas.  Those eggs have hatched, eaten until time to go into a chrysalis and eventually hatched into a new Brazilian Skipper.  This skipper is considered a pest by many because it consumes a lot of canna leaves on it's route to becoming a skipper. The first skipper seen in my yard was 8/10/18 with the first caterpillars about a week later.  Successful birth of the Brazilian Skipper occurred on Sept 7, 2018.

Brazilian Skipper

Brazilian Skipper eggs

Close-up of BS eggs

8/18/18 ~ Brazilian Skipper caterpillars

8/18/18 ~ Enclosures they make to stay in during the daytime as they feed at night

Growing larger

I peeked in an enclosure so the caterpillar is making a new one to hide in until evening.

8/29/18 ~ Starting to turn into a chrysalis

8/30/18 ~ Now, it's a chrysalis

9/6/18 ~ Shouldn't be long now as it's changing colors.

9/7/18 ~ Early the next morning I have a newly born Brazilian Skipper.

Isn't it cool?  (picture by Harvey T)

a spent chrysalis.

My Yard ~ Brazilian Skipper

First Brazilian Skipper seen in my yard since 2013.  It was not seen by
me at that time but by a friend. These skippers nectar and lay their eggs
on canna plants.  Here they are on a yellow canna in my yard.

Brazilian Skipper - My Yard

Rare Skipper Sighting -A rare Brazilian Skipper has been found in my yard by Will Kerling.  It is one of 3 seen in Cape May County.  It's not known if any Brazilian Skipper has ever been seen outside of Cape May County.  This was an awesome find but sadly, I was at work and didn't get to see it.