And with the arrival of so many flowers came an abundance of Lepidoptera. Butterflies are everywhere! Actually,even when it was "B on B" in January and I was walking around in my DOA (Depressed on Arrival) state, I was amazed to see a good number of Sulphurs
flitting over the bare winter landscape. For that matter, they helped to lift my spirits in those first weeks; butterflies in January, unheard of in my latitude. Then in March, Red Admirals arrived and their numbers keep increasing. I have said it before, but that is the fascinating thing about your first year in any new area. You just aren't sure what to expect when, and what is normal. Are there always hundreds of Red Admirals filling the bushes and trees in March and April? You would think some major fleet landed somewhere. They are striking butterflies with those bold stripes of orange,
and they cover a blooming acacia tree in my front yard so thoroughly, a quick glance would make you think THEY were the flowers. The previous owner had left a ceramic butterfly feeder and, what entertainment this is! I have found a great use for my overripe bananas. When I first put them out, they were covered with an insect called a Coreid bug.
Not only did did this bug arrive to dine, but they seemed to always find it the most romantic spot of all. Avert your eyes children. Mystery was solved when I read that they lay their eggs in fruit. Well that was a a relief, for at first, I thought they were assassin bugs lying in wait for the butterflies. Well their honeymoon time is over and now, on any given day I have about 30 Red Admirals, and as of April, many Question Mark butterflies,
jockeying for position on the rotting pears, pineapples, bananas,or whatever fruit I have going bad in the fridge. Raccoons have recently discovered that they can shimmy up the tree to clean out whatever the butterflies failed to eat and all in all this is working well. I thought about bringing the fruit in at night, but the other thing that arrived in abundance is fruit flies, so to bring them in would be to daily stage one of those science fair projects of raising fruit flies. I think not. Better to just let the raccoons have the spoils.
Of course, you can't have an abundance of butterflies without an equal or greater abundance of caterpillars which, some day, I might not be quite as delighted about. They are climbing up the walls, falling in my hair, eating up my marigolds, dining on the Virginia Creeper, crawling on the deck and of course, dropping their fras (poop) everywhere. But thanks to the abundance of leaves, I don't feel threatened yet, and there are so many fascinating kinds, kinds I had only read about, that I am enthralled. I have the Swallowtail caterpillar with the big fake eyes on it's backside,
also the kind that mimics bird poop
so that it will look less appetizing, the kind that hold themselves rigid as a stick
and some large, white, fuzzy ones that look related to Pekingese! Some visiting children got very exercised about them calling them Asps and acting like one touch would kill me. Probably with such long hairs they would be irritating. But consider this all joy! I love it. I could go on and on. Walking sticks hang in each corner of the porch
, daddy long legs hold major conventions under the blanket that still covers the well, scorpions sleep under rocks, snakes are beginning to show themselves and so far they come in peace. Lizards scooting across the deck are trying to fill the void of my much missed chipmunks and birds are nesting everywhere. Abundance, Abundance, Abundance! The only think I don't have in abundance is time so I had better stop. Backed up blogs have been clogging my brain but there just has been no time to write them. One down, several to go. Life is full of new discoveries to share here, so stay tuned, many more need to go from mind to paper whenever I can find the time. But right now I have insects to feed.
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