Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Better Bugs, Part 2
I'm reluctantly calling this butterfly a Banded Hairstreak. I really wanted it to be a Hickory Hairstreak (uncommon, and in MY yard), but after a lot of study I concluded it's the common, Banded one. I know it's so worn and tattered that it's hard to tell, but the blue spot on the hindwing just doesn't look big enough to make it Hickory Hairstreak.
While I was trying to photograph the hairstreak, a couple of skippers were cavorting nearby. Maybe someday soon I'll try again to identify skippers, but not today. The only one I can identify - the Silver-spotted Skipper - has been around the Buddleia 'Black Knight' for the last few days.
I took a good long walk (without the camera) through the neighborhood yesterday and saw a Red Admiral down by the stream, and several Clouded Sulphurs and Cabbage Whites over a large patch of crown vetch. But where are the Swallowtails? I haven't seen one for weeks.
2 Comments:
I've seen some Zebra swallowtails--big ones, in absolutely perfect condition, but that is about it as swallowtails go. And despite having a fairly large milkweed patch, no monarchs.
I made three passes through the garden today for beetles. I'm betting I collectd well over 1000 beetles.
I hardly have any grass in my yard, and have been putting down weed barriers. But I do have about 8 acres of mowed greenspace behind my home. Don't know if they treat it or not, but from the numbers of beetles, I'm guessing no.
I like the Tom Sawyer idea. I do offer my daughers 5 cents a beetle, which on day like today would've added up in a big way. Somehow, though, when I go out for beetles I come back with 500. When they go out, they come back with about 50...
Rob, I just found your comment. Usually I get an email whenever someone posts a comment, but didn't this time.
I've seen one zebra swallowtail at couple of different times in the last 10 days, but didn't have the camera handy when it was around. Then there was one black-type swallowtail passing through, and I didn't get a good enough look at it for an ID. The Buddleia and Rudbeckia are just now getting down to serious blooming, so I'm hoping to see more butterflies soon. I rarely see Monarchs here. Once or twice in the fall is about it.
My Japanese beetle numbers are still about the same - anywhere between 5 and 20 a day - and very manageable with hand-picking. I have no idea what I'd do with 1000. Cry? Take a weed-eater to the whole thing? Go on vacation? All of the above?
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