Gulf Fritillary

The gulf fritillary caterpillars hatched two days ago, the day before Thanksgiving. Now they are munching on the underside of the passionvine leaf. The gulf fritillary and cabbage white butterflies are still active. It seems warm this year as compared with most years. It is drizzling this morning, so maybe it will get wintery soon.

Eggs

Two little orange dots, one on each leaf. I know my photo is not great, but those are gulf fritillary eggs. Gulf fritillaries lay their eggs on passion vine. The leaf on the right is passion vine. But growing in the same bed is lots of nasturtium, and one butterfly got confused and chose the wrong plant. Or maybe it is just an experiment to see if the caterpillars can live on a different plant. After all, the host plant is not always available, and the butterflies that can be more flexible could be more likely to survive. I am debating whether to leave the caterpillar on the nasturtium after it hatches, or move it to the passion vine. I think I will move it.

Entomology Club

The entomology club is having another meeting. BYOB! Bring your own bug, that is. Experts will try to identify them, and if you stump them, you can win a hand lens. More info here:

http://www.bugpeople.org/