Honeycroft Village ~ Around the Yard

Pearl Crescent ~ New Yard butterfly #28

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Wild Indigo Duskywing

Peck's Skipper ~ Yard Butterfly #27

Peck's Skipper

Dun Skipper

Dun Skipper

Common Buckeye

 

 Cherry Leafroller Moth

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.

 

Honeycroft Village ~ Wild Indigo Chrysalis

 Erynnis baptisiae, the wild indigo duskywing chrysalis. The caterpillars I've been watching are all now in chrysalis stage so waiting the births called eclosing. The chrysalis measures 1/2" long and 1/8" wide. This Duskywing is very small—1.3" which is about the size of my thumbnail.

pictures taken 6/30

Butterflies and moths develop through a process called metamorphosis. This metamorphosis looks almost complete. I believe I'll have a Wild Indigo Duskywing eclose later today.

When the butterfly is ready to eclose the chrysalis membrane becomes very thin and translucent so you can see the butterfly.  So cool to see.

This caterpillar went into the chrysalis later then the one pictured above.

Born 7/8

second pictured chrysalis eclosed 7/12

Lancaster, PA ~ New Life Butterflies

A visit to Lancaster, PA allowed me to see 2 new life butterflies.
Here the Meadow Fritillary (new species) is facing off with a Red-banded Hairstreak.

Wild Indigo Duskywing (new species)