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Creepy Crawlies!

Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave
Nice!
 
I usually try not to get so close to wasps, but this one seemed pretty chilled out. Not sure if it was the slightly cooler temps, the smell of chicken and lump charcoal, or maybe he wanted to be on the internet and famous. Whatever it was he sat for a few shots anyway.
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oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave
Good job- need to try my hand at milkweed, too. I am in the migration path.
 

simon1

Self Ignored by Vista
A creepy critter. I hate it when I'm walking down a trail in the woods, duck under a low hanging limb, and run face first into a web with one of these in it.

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Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave

Monarch saga so far...
Saturday (Aug.10) - bought two milkweed plants

Sunday- we spotted two Monarch caterpillars on one of the plants, one very big, one very small.

Tuesday- morning go out to check on the caterpillars? Nowhere to be seen, find half the fat one lying on the top of the soil, totally pissed. Afternoon cleaning up withered rhubarb leaves and see what looks like a green/blue styrofoam packing peanut under a leaf, chrysalis, Monarch? Put under wire cage to protect and watch.

Wednesday - check the plants, a caterpillar, put the plant in a netted vegetable bed for protection.

Thursday (today) - after breakfast checked the netted plant, two caterpillars!! Chrysalis is black and see through, Monarch in there. Run to the library and grocer home in less than an hour, chrysalis is empty and a butterfly nowhere to be found in the netted area... eventually spotted under a lettuce leaf, lay the other milkweed in beside the lettuce, go make lunch. Couple hours later the Monarch's atop the milkweed finally flexing it’s wings periodically. Moved it outside the net and it made the short hop/flight to a tall dried spring allium where it finishes the wing drying. Last seen heading north where a few neighbours yards are well stocked with milkweed.

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dave
 
Monarch saga so far...
Saturday (Aug.10) - bought two milkweed plants

Sunday- we spotted two Monarch caterpillars on one of the plants, one very big, one very small.

Tuesday- morning go out to check on the caterpillars? Nowhere to be seen, find half the fat one lying on the top of the soil, totally pissed. Afternoon cleaning up withered rhubarb leaves and see what looks like a green/blue styrofoam packing peanut under a leaf, chrysalis, Monarch? Put under wire cage to protect and watch.

Wednesday - check the plants, a caterpillar, put the plant in a netted vegetable bed for protection.

Thursday (today) - after breakfast checked the netted plant, two caterpillars!! Chrysalis is black and see through, Monarch in there. Run to the library and grocer home in less than an hour, chrysalis is empty and a butterfly nowhere to be found in the netted area... eventually spotted under a lettuce leaf, lay the other milkweed in beside the lettuce, go make lunch. Couple hours later the Monarch's atop the milkweed finally flexing it’s wings periodically. Moved it outside the net and it made the short hop/flight to a tall dried spring allium where it finishes the wing drying. Last seen heading north where a few neighbours yards are well stocked with milkweed.

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dave
Beautiful shots Dave, especially the chrysalis!
Congrats, it's a girl!
 
Thanks Troy, another female, i'm alone and so completely outnumbered.

I'm guessing she's the seasons third generation and if she produces offspring they'll be the migrators.

The two remaining caterpillars look to be doing well.

Great wasp shots, not going to try with my camera.
dave
 
My phone/ipad photos don’t compare, but I try and take one with when I scout the plants/lawn, occasionally finding a plant that strayed from it’s intended design, or a visiting flyer or creepy crawler.

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Thanks Troy, another female, i'm alone and so completely outnumbered.

I'm guessing she's the seasons third generation and if she produces offspring they'll be the migrators.

The two remaining caterpillars look to be doing well.

Great wasp shots, not going to try with my camera.
dave
Thanks Dave! Mud daubers are pretty calm compared to most wasps, and this one didn't seem to mind me getting close at all.

My phone/ipad photos don’t compare, but I try and take one with when I scout the plants/lawn, occasionally finding a plant that strayed from it’s intended design, or a visiting flyer or creepy crawler.

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Great shots, thanks for posting the second is my favorite of the group!
 
Thanks Troy. Eek! Is that a Wolf spider? I've seen one-in Florida. Fast, like a cat with it’s tail on fire.
The spider in the back is a Bold Jumper, also pretty fast with even bigger eyes than a wolf. I think the one in front is a orb weaver of some sort, but not sure could be a cobweb weaver.
 
My phone/ipad photos don’t compare, but I try and take one with when I scout the plants/lawn, occasionally finding a plant that strayed from it’s intended design, or a visiting flyer or creepy crawler.

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Nice ones! I'm with Troy the second being my favourite, hard to resist trying to capture a photogenic bumble bee with the camera.

Troy the wasp looks quite friendly next to those spiders, creepy for sure.
dave
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
Thanks Dave! Mud daubers are pretty calm compared to most wasps, and this one didn't seem to mind me getting close at all.

Great shots, thanks for posting the second is my favorite of the group!
You can swat at daubers and they will just fly right around you. They are more interested in killing wasps- which is why I never knock their nests down.
 
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