Celebrating the ordinary
I’ve put out fermented bait (rotten fruit, etc.) to attract butterflies and moths. However, for the last three nights I’ve been surprised to find an ivory-marked beetle (Eburia quadrigeminata) that has come to feed. This is the first one I’ve ever seen and I think it’s quite handsome. It apparently doesn’t bite, although I didn’t test it.
My friend, Amanda Cawby, noticed something unusual in the road one night. Not sure what it was but afraid it would be run over, she stopped to pick it up. To her surprise, it was a Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), another of our large silkworm moths. Cecropicas typically have a wingspan of 4-6 inches.
In mid-May, my friend Connie May brought me a tiny yellow-and-black caterpillar to raise. For four weeks it ate tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) leaves and grew to be two inches long.
I especially liked its yellow “booties” and red spikes. Continue reading “Promethea moth”
Goodness, it’s hot and dry. It is a challenging time for plants, wildlife, and gardeners. I previously blogged about why purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) are one of my favorite perennials. They’re now proving to be one of my most drought-resistant plants and attracting the most visitors, including this orange sulphur butterfly (Colias eurytheme).
The morning after my “Baby robins” post I saw the young birds, but by afternoon the nest was empty. I was surprised at how much I missed them and wondered if something had gone wrong. However, in a few days a young robin that would have been about the right age appeared in the backyard. It was frequently begging for food and being fed by an adult male.
