Jewels of Fall

Hi Friends, as promised more butterflies.  I took so many photos of these three Monarch Butterflies they were so busy they didn't even notice I was there...

How awesome it must be wearing polka dots!! 

And they all three want to be on the same flower head...lol

We all know Monarchs migrate and they can travel from 50 - 100 miles per day!  It takes about 2 months to complete the trip and July-October is the months they begin to move south.  The Eastern Monarchs go to the mountains of Mexico where they will over winter in fir trees,  in Oyamel forests, (happily the Mexican Government is protecting these forests and created the Monarch Butterfly Reserve.) and the Western area Monarchs go to California near Santa Cruz and San Diego and overwinter in eucalyptus, Monterey pine, and Cyprus.  So TREES are very important to the success of this Beautiful Butterfly.   

Thank you Mexico!!

I like this shot because a Sweat Bee photobombed it...lol LOVE all the Deep toned orange going on here...

I wish I knew more about butterflies, I used to be better at remembering the names but that escapes me more each year.  I have tried to ID the following but if Im wrong just let me know in the comment section...as Stated Fall is our butterfly season.  We have more abundant wild flowers in fall than in Spring and Spring is short lived here..fall flowers seem to linger a little longer the summer bloomers are pretty much done..

Migrating birds will love these Black Eyed Susan seed heads...

A Cloudy Sulphur lays an egg on the leaf of this Rattle Box plant,  The larvae  will hatch and then munch on this plant and on each other before entering the Pupae stage where they don't eat but they wait to mature...

Here is a Common Buckeye..

They also migrate to the south regions to winter...they have big Eye Spots as part of their defense against predators...and here is one folded up so you can see the underwing...this plant is called Rabbit Tobacco! Another fall blooming plant. 

Underwing of the Common Buckeye

This next guy is called a Sleepy Orange!  One of the Sulphur butterflies, 

Sleepy Orange

SO Hard to get a shot of the wings open but here in his escape shot you can see the beautiful chocolate and school bus yellow that outlines his wings..

They lay their eggs on the underside of a leaf, where as the Cloudy Sulphur lays eggs on the top side of the leaf. They also Migrate South....so see  these butterflies come here to spend the winter...

Now this one I am not sure of but I think it's o ne of the Crescents, maybe a Pearl Crescent...he is warming up or basking on this piece of glass...I thought that was interesting..

Pearl Crescent 

This is one that likes Swamp Milkweed...like I showed you in my last post...

This busy fellow below is a Variegated Fritillary.  We see these a lot!! They are about 2 to 3 inches in size, they have a very colorful Caterpillar stripped with a red, black and white and  6 rows of black spikes coming off the body!   You gotta see it here..

Variegated Fritillary

They like all kinds of nectar plants this one is sitting on a wild White Verbena which we have all over the place this time of year!

Back side of Gulf Fritillary

This is another Fritillary and it's about 3 inches across the Gulf Fritillary.  One common name is the Passion Butterfly....One of my favorite fall visitors...the underside is even more beautiful...this little plant grows everywhere here it had tiny little pinky/purple flowers and it's a ground cover, I don't know the name...but the Butterflies love it must be very sweet tasting. The flower is barely the size of a rice grain. 

underside of the Gulf Fritillary

They have an nasty odorous defense against predators and release pheromones  to attract a mate...and they love to nectar on the Lantana plants like in my yard, and the Passion Flower which is all over the place at this time...they are mostly a Southern Species and tend to Migrate to Florida.

Passion Flower 

This Dark Morph female Tiger Swallowtail (Eastern) is also enjoying the Lantana flowers in my yard...She is rather beat up with bits of her wing missing...

Dark Morph E. Tiger Swallowtail 

Of course Monarch's are the most well known butterfly and their host plant is the Milkweed. 

Monarch on Milkweed 

 Below these are nectaring on Tall Zinna flowers.  I have tried and been unsuccessful on getting Common Milkweed to grow on my homestead, they like a more moist water holding soil...I keep trying tho...and I have found one area on my place that stays moist..so Im gonna try again I do have some seeds....cause who wouldn't love seeing more of these beauties in the yard!

Polka dots and stained glass...what a combo

Hope you get a chance to enjoy the Jewels of Fall in your world.

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PEACE

Every day is a new Adventure.