"Bees sip honey from flowers and hum their thanks when they leave.
The gaudy butterfly is sure that the flowers owe thanks to him."
-Rabindranath Tagore

The Anise Swallowtail, or Papilio zelicaon, is one of my favorite butterflies due to its almost clockwork appearance in mid to late June when I was a boy, heralding the start of summer vacation. Summer vacation was fresh, freeing, and exciting; time to explore! It was a common butterfly that I caught easily in my net, took home, and mounted on a spreading board, later to be placed under glass or configured into little natural gliders (which flew remarkably well when the wings were arranged right) that me and my boyhood friend Wayne would launch from the balconies of the apartments we lived in.

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 Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon

 There are several other swallowtail species residing in Southern California. Two are quite similar in appearance to the Anise, but are readily distinguishable with a modicum of learning and experience.

Before the advent of large populations of people here in California, this pretty little creature was rather scarce. As human populations grew and expanded in the beginning of the 20th century, the Anise Swallowtail benefited.

The original host plant sources of this swallowtail were various species of native lomatium and tauschia, relatives of carrots and parsley. With the large scale disruption of native plant areas due to building, agriculture, and livestock, much of their ancestral range was destroyed. Enter fennel.

The introduction of escaped exotic non native fennel into the environment provided a stable host plant base that Anise Swallowtails readily adapted to -- fennel also a carrot and parsley relative -- replacing the disappearing lomatium and tauschia species.

Fennel found Southern California to be a quite a gracious host and soon escaped people's gardens. Large tracts of fennel soon appeared that Anise Swallowtails were attracted to. There being much more fennel now than there ever was of its ancestral host plants, they also grew in populations along with fennel. What once was a rather scarce butterfly visitor to early 20th century So Cal gardens, by the 1950's, became a common resident.

When looking for Anise Swallowtail caterpillars in fennel stands as kids, we would pick a juicy leaf stem and chew on the end of it for its licorice-like flavor. The flavor is delightful, plus it has mild analgesic properties and is sometimes used as a stomach soother in folk medicines. Anise Swallowtail is a misnomer, as it feeds on the similar licorice tasting fennel rather than anise.

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Common, or Wild Fennel; Foeniculum vulgare

Wild Fennel is considered an invasive specie in California, and as such, is discouraged from being planted. Wild fennel is thought to have originated from plantings of finocchio that went to seed, escaped, and over time reverted to its present wild state. It's such a shame that this plant is so unruly, as it supports a variety of beneficial insects amongst its leaves and flowers.

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 Anise Swallowtail caterpillar

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 Chrysalis

Chrysalises, or chrysalides, of Anise Swallowtails  can come in various colors ranging from browns to greens, depending on the environment they are in. Colors are used to blend in with their surroundings.

"The least thing upset him on the links.  He missed short putts because of the uproar of butterflies in the adjoining meadows."
-P.G. Wodehouse

Copied from Monarch Watch Blog:

Monarch Population Status: Addendum

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014 at 4:45 pm by Chip Taylor
Filed under Monarch Population Status | No Comments » As an addendum to our Monarch Population Status report posted on 29 July 2014, I offer the following:
Reports from throughout the breeding range indicate an increase in monarch numbers roughly along the lines projected in May. The migration is already underway having started at 50 N around the 12th of August. The leading edge should be in southern MN at this time and in Ames, IA around the 6th of Sept. Fall roosts have been reported to Journey North in the Dakotas, MN, WI, MI and NY as of 28 August. No roosts had been recorded by the 29th of August last year (see Monarch Roosts Fall 2013 and Monarch Roosts Fall 2014). There will surely be more monarchs to tag over the next two months and the overwintering population in Mexico is certain to be larger. At a minimum, I expect the population to be twice as large as last year or roughly 1.4 hectares but it could be twice that size. We still have to hear about monarchs from many areas and the conditions during the migration will likely determine how many of the migrants reach the overwintering sites. It will help to watch the reports of overnight clusters recorded by Journey North and to watch the weather conditions and note the availability of nectar sources as monarchs migrate through the United States and northern Mexico.




Painted Lady butterflies are a common sight in our gardens during the early spring to early summer, when they migrate north from desert areas in Baja California to where ever they land up in, up there somewhere.

Some of you may have seen and remember migratory, literal waves of these butterflies as they passed through on particularly bountiful years. Abundant and timely rains in the deserts create large host plant populations that consequently are able to support large volumes of Painted Lady caterpillar numbers. In domestic gardens, hollyhocks are a favorite host plant.

Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) caterpillar butterfly rearing kits are extremely popular butterfly related items, especially in elementary classrooms, that can be purchased online at modest prices. These kits include a container with several live caterpillars, specially formulated Painted Lady caterpillar food, informational materials, and a net cage to house emerging butterflies. For those who have children or grand kids that are interested in nature, or would like to introduce them to one of natures miracles, these kits are complete, easy to put together, and easy to maintain. Just remember to release the butterflies from the net cage after they eclose (fancy-shmancy word for coming out of their chrysalides).

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Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui

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Caterpillar

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Chrysalis

There are several species and sub species of Painted Ladies in North America. Here is an excellent link with photos describing the various species:

Some Basic Information on the Four Vanessa Butterfly Species of North America

Painted Lady butterflies are the most widespread species of butterflies residing on our planet. They can be found in almost every corner of the globe save Antarctica!

Here's a quick entry regarding Monarch butterfly caterpillars, diseases affecting them, and ways of minimizing threats. It's estimated that only one out of one hundred butterfly caterpillars reach maturity to become winged adults. Losses include diseases, parasitism, and predation.

6 Common Monarch Diseases and Caterpillar Killers

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"Nerves and butterflies are fine - they're a physical sign that you're mentally ready and eager.  You have to get the butterflies to fly in formation, that's the trick."

-Steve Bull

Several months ago, the garden lost all of its Oleander Aphids: YAY!
Several months ago, the garden lost all of its Monarch caterpillars... SAY WHAT?!

Yup.

We have a bug spraying company that comes about every other month or so to spray around the base of the house and underneath it, also checking the yard for unwanted creepy crawly critters. Up until then, there were no unwanted critters in the container garden or the yard in general. Before the container garden was created, the yard was a very sterile environment for insects. Cacti, succulents, some rocks, and a carpet of gravel was all it offered.

Enter the containers and almost immediately, the garden became a bug haven of sorts. With the advent of warmer weather in June, the bugs began to appear in earnest along with the Monarch caterpillars.

Enter our bug spray guy:

He routinely checks around and under the house, also checking the yard. Spotting the aphis hoards anchored on to the milkweed plants, he obligingly sprayed for them and surrounding plants with insecticide.

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ACK!

I forgot to mention to him that I didn't want the plants sprayed at all nor the immediate area of the house adjoining the container garden. I was at first elated that the aphids were decimated by voracious predatory ladybugs, wasps, and ambush bugs. IPM works!!!

I then noticed that all of the cats were either dead or dying. Upon closer inspection of the plants, a noticeable white residue was spotted spattered on their surfaces. HORROR!

It was amazing the day and night transformation of the container garden with regards to the insect populations that previously inhabited the site. From a healthy, humming, teeming with insect life (both good and not so good) biome, the Container Butterfly Garden became a beautiful dead zone; sterile and pretty to look at. It effectively became a metaphor for the beautiful but cold Ice Queen.

I was so bummed!

To make a long story not much longer, I waited for the bug spraying guy to make his appearance again, walked him around the container garden, explaining its purpose and intent. He was intensely interested in the concept, and sincere in his enthusiasm for the project. All is well now here. The caterpillars are back -- the aphids too -- plus all of the other little crawling and buzzing bugs have returned. Seeing them again is like wearing a favorite pair of old house slippers: I feel all warm and fuzzy inside again!

How dead and utterly useless the garden was after it was sprayed! Yes, there are the bad bugs mixed in with the good bugs, but if one lets nature balance itself out, a happy medium can be maintained. It took a good month and a half to two months before the cats returned.

I do go in and look for detestable Large Milkweed Bugs in and amongst the milkweed plants during the summer months, knocking them into a jar half filled with water with a bit of dish detergent mixed in. The detergent makes the water "wetter", allowing the bugs to become less hydrophobic and able to drown faster.

Large Milkweed Bugs are not a threat to milkweed plants per say, mainly feeding on the seeds and sap of milkweed seed capsules. Their numbers can explode if not kept in check, and that's what is detestable to me, although they are rather pretty in their own right. I've seen weaker milkweed plants succumb to masses of these creatures infesting them. They bug me [ :-)) ] with their mass presence, so I go after them.

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 Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus

If I feel rather rambunctious, I'll even squish some Oleander Aphids between the thumb and forefinger. A messy, but rather rewarding feeling, it really doesn't do much good when aphid numbers are out of control.

So, to wrap it up, this is just a reminder to those that have a bug spray service or an uninformed gardener to please advise them of your intent for the butterfly plants you've placed in your yards.

"The green grass and the happy skies
court the fluttering butterflies."

 -Terri Guillemets 

The Little Skippers

I was going to defer posting this article to a later date until Marion Jacobs in Laguna Beach shot me an email wondering  what were all of the little moth sized butterflies visiting the Lantana bushes up at Alta Laguna Park, so it is fitting to present this article now.

There are numerous species of little skipper butterflies that call Southern California home. Normally colored in orange and brownish hues, these diminutive creatures can be easily identified when perched on a flower by the unique "delta-winged fighter jet" wing posture they assume when at rest.

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Fiery Skipper, Hylephila phyleus

The Fiery Skipper is one of the more common skipper species along our coastal and intercoastal zones. There were a multitude of skippers, both Fiery and others, bouncing about the Lantana camara bushes planted between the Alta Laguna Park tennis courts in Laguna Beach, California, in search of nectar. Skippers are especially attracted to lantana blooms. Lantana camara makes for a good potted specimen in an adequately sized container; a 16-18 inch pot is sufficient.

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Common Branded Skipper, Hesperia comma

This one is also fairly common in So Cal. The Common Branded Skipper makes its home in England and the Continent too. Known as the Silver-spotted Skipper in the U.K.

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 Wandering Skipper, Panoquina errans

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 Funereal Duskywing, Erynnis funeralis

The duskywings stray from the more popular skippers in their wing positions during rest. They tend to lay their wings flat versus the fighter jet stance of others. The Funereal Duskywing can be found as far down south as Argentina.

Skippers host on various grass species, both native and introduced. Their numbers usually aren't sufficient enough to be considered lawn pests, whereas the duskywings host on various legumes. Locally, the duskywing host plant is our native species of Deerweed, Lotus scoparius var. scoparius.

Remember: if one wishes to attract these cute little butterflies (and many other species too!) to one's gardens, by all means plant Lantana camara. My opinion is that Lantana is one of the top three plants one should introduce to a yard for attracting butterflies of all sorts, being rather indiscriminate in this highly desirable quality.

These four are just a sampling of the various skippers of So Cal. Skippers can be found in North, Central, and South America, the U.K., and even New Zealand, and maybe beyond...

 

"Not quite birds, as they were not quite flowers, mysterious and fascinating as are all indeterminate creatures."

-Elizabeth Goudge

The summer doldrums have hit the container butterfly garden pretty hard. As this is the first year of its existence and have introduced many unfamiliar plants that I've never seen before or even heard of, the first season has become an immersive learning experience.

The two basic criteria in choosing plants for the Container Butterfly Garden were their abilities to attract and support various butterfly populations, and for their beauty in the garden.

Container gardening is very different than growing directly in the ground. Limits in root space, the heating up of containers in the bright summer sun with its effect of elevated potting soil temps and subsequent effect on evaporation rates, all add up to a very different maintenance strategy.

Plants grown in the ground have the advantage of almost limitless root space, the insulating effect of large amounts of soil for their roots, and the capacity to accept and retain vast amounts of water for consistent hydration; and the fact that adding fertilizer to the ground tends to keep it available longer in the root zone for plants vs. in a pot where repeated waterings can quickly leach it out through the bottom, shortening the time for their intended benefits.

 Observation has shown that some plants seem to be made for containers, whereas others are not without much coaxing and hand holding. Plant divas are better left to perform on a stage composed of terra firma rather than within the constraints of potting soil in a pot.

As such, next year's container garden will see quite a few divas replaced with container heartier fare. These freed up pots will allow the addition of more milkweed plants which do extremely well in containers. Lantana camara has done well and is a great nectar source. The butterflies here LOVE the three different scabiosas I planted, so, some of the smaller pots will be receiving divisions of existing ones.

The Liatris spicata I'm happy to say, will reside once again in the garden. The beautifully colored flower torches of this butterfly magnet will grace several new and existing pots. The inflorescence of Liatris has a peculiar habit of blooming contrary to the more popular manner of starting at the bottom and successively opening as the flowers ascend up the stalk. Liatris starts at the top and works its way to the bottom blooms. What advantage this gives the plant is a mystery to me.

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Liatris spicata, Gay Feather; Blazing Star

How unfortunate Echinacea purpurea and the several rudbeckia I own have succumbed to the heat buildup of their potting soils this summer. During the spring and early summer, they gave the impression of amazing things to come, but since have flagged and even "bit the dust". The echinacea is barely surviving, but I love this plant, so I'll try to nurse it along as best as can be done. Both echinacea and rudbeckia species make wonderful additions to a conventional garden; alas, not so for the container garden here...

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Echinacea purpurea, Purple Coneflower

More later on the continuing saga of blooms that bombed.

“You can only chase a butterfly for so long.”

-Jane Yolen

Paul Hengstebeck of Laguna Beach, California recently finished producing his video of a Monarch caterpillar metamorphosing into a chrysalis and ultimately into an adult butterfly. You may remember his initial video we saw a few weeks ago.

Paul also opened a Google+ page showcasing some of the lovely photos he's taken of Monarchs.



The Cabbage White Butterfly

First landing in Canada, the Cabbage White butterfly is an European introduction that hitchhiked across the Atlantic back in the last half of the 1800's in shipments of cabbages and other cruciferous (also known as brassicas) vegetables. Without any natural enemies, it soon spread out across most of North America. Other crucifers include kale, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, horseradish, bok choy... the list goes on and on...

Very common, it is one of the first butterflies to be spotted early in the season. Will overwinter in Southern California, and can be seen almost every day of the year when the sun is shining.

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Cabbage White, Pieris rapae. Male, left; female, right.

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Cabbage White caterpillar. Somewhat variable in color and markings; mainly green.

The larvae if left unchecked, will riddle members of the cabbage family with holes and frass, making for unmarketable produce and less than desirable veggie garden table fare. For those wishing to enlist more environmentally friendly alternatives to dispatch these critters from your plants, hand picking is effective, although sometimes cats will bore deep inside cabbage heads, making it almost impossible to extricate them. A very effective IPM strategy is the use of  Bt, but beware, fellow butterfly aficionados; it will affect other caterpillars in surrounding areas if accidentally introduced.

I've found them eating the buds of zonal geraniums, besides cabbages.They are also known to attack nasturtiums.

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Cabbage White chrysalis. Variable in color from green to brown.