Honeycroft Village ~ Garden Delights in my Yard

Monarch caterpillars

Monarch caterpillars on swamp milkweed

More than 25 Black Swallowtail caterpillars on curly parsley.

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Wild Indigo Duskywing eggs on Baptista (close up)

Wild Indigo Duskywing eggs on Baptista.  Eggs are white when they are laid, then, they turn orange before turning blue just before hatching.

Wild Indigo Duskywing eggs and it looks like the caterpillar is developing.

 

Beth's Patch ~ Bird & Butterflies

 Today's butterfly species totaled 7 flying with 3 types of caterpillars and one chrysalis which gave me 8 butterfly species in total. And a Hermit Thrush who was probably here to stock up on the caterpillars.

Hermit Thrush

Black Swallowtail caterpillars

Monarch caterpillars

Ocola Skipper

Mint fresh Red Admiral butterfly

Sleepy Orange butterfly

My Yard ~ Black Swallowtail Butterflies

Male Swallowtail butterfly in the garden

Female Swallowtail butterfly in the garden but still laying eggs on the parsley and rue

Lots of Black Swallowtail caterpillars chowing down

And they ate it all and had to be relocated to another plant

And more BS cats chowing down.  the gardens are filled with them.

Getting ready to pupate

In the gardens

And 24 hrs later it's a chrysalis! 
Will it eclose this season or will it overwinter? There's no way to tell yet.

My Yard ~ Late Season Caterpillars

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

While out scoping out the butterflies I noticed yesterday that there are over a dozen Black Swallowtail Caterpillars on the Curly Parsley I supply for them.  I already have over 1/2 dozen chrysalis over wintering so I guess I'll have some more!

6 Cabbage White Caterpillars found

A Monarch caterpillar found also.

My Yard ~ Butterflies

Mating Cabbage White Butterflies

Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly

Horace's Duskywing Butterfly

Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

Wordless Wednesday ~ Black Swallowtail cat's continue

Beginning of December and we still have Black Swallowtail cats feeding on the Curley Parsley.  I counted 9 cats on the parsley.

My yard ~ Butterflies and caterpillars

Eastern Black Swallowtail Cats

Great to arrive home from FL and find that we still have Eastern Black swallowtail cats feeding on the Curly Parsley.  I also have 3 Monarch chrysalis, 2 of which look ready to enclose so perhaps later today will be the time.  I worry that these butterflies will not make it down to Mexico but you can't hurry nature.

When I went out this afternoon 2 of 3 Monarch had enclosed.  I also caught a Black Swallowtail cat walking across the sidewalk to the garden.

Making an escape- Eastern Black Swallowtail cat

Enclosed Monarch butterfly

Monarch wings drying

Wings still drying on both butterflies 

Will this Monarch chrysalis make it until spring?

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

It's been a wild time lately for the 2 Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillars that have been hanging around on my dill.  They come out when the sun shines and feed on the dill and hide away at night.  They haven't gotten large enough to go into their chrysalis yet but I am hoping they will do so.  The weather has been so windy and the cold has been creeping in so who knows what will happened.  I also have another 2 chrysalis from the Eastern Black Swallowtail.

And these flowers are still blooming!