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12 years ago

Well, I've been checking in here the last couple of days trying to figure out what to say about this butterfly year 2012 in Oklahoma City, and I just have nothing but adjectives to express the huge population of butterflies this year.

I've had a lot of butterflies to be sure, but I guess it was day before yesterday, Tuesday, that I came to realize that I have more butterflies than I have ever seen since I started butterfly gardening about 14 years ago. I came home early afternoon, following a shopping trip to find summer clothes for my GD, Charlotte (OMG - I got her some gladiator sandals and she looks so cute in them). My DD and I had a great day. As I walked up the sidewalk to the porch, it struck me that I was being bombarded by butterflies flying everywhere. I mean, it was like a tornado of them.

The suet feeder was full, and I had a plate on the porch as well. There were 6 of the biggest Mourning Cloaks I have ever seen feeding. The size of one of them nearly covered the side of the suet feeder. I've never seen such HUGE Mourning Cloaks. There were so many Question Marks, Red Admirals, and Hackberry Emperors, I could not count them all. This in addiition to Variegated Frits (I have at least 6 or 7 around at all times), Painted Ladies, Cabbage Whites, Clouded Sulphurs, Orange Sulphurs, Sleepy Oranges, and Skippers. I have not seen that many Mourning Cloaks at one time EVER! Or, this late in spring! Get ready Northerners, there is an explosion of them, too. I am hoping for eggs, but not not seeing any egg laying going on.....yet.

The Mourning Cloaks are on the feeders at 7:00 a.m. when I go out, and are still feeding at dusk. I've not seen them stay like this either. They usually stop for awhile and then move on.

Now, this surprised me, but maybe some of you have seen this on occasion. Yesterday morning when I first went out, there was a Painted Lady feeding on the fruit dish. That was a new one on me, too.

Last night I was out walking around, checking the flowers, and I found Monarch eggs and a cat on the Asclepias speciosa! Totally missed that visit.

I also witnessed the Question Marks laying eggs on the Hops Vine! That's also a first for me.

This probably doesn't seem out of the ordinary to many of you, but I have a very small urban setting/property, so it is quite extraordinary for me. Yesterday I was driving around to run errands, though, and I began to take note of the butterflies around me. There was not a spot in my field of vision that did not contain at least one butterfly in it. It seems that OKC is filled with butterflies at the moment everywhere you go!

It is like nothing I have ever seen before, and truly AMAZING! I hope you all are seeing/get to see these beauties this summer, too!

Susan

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Comments (10)

minrose
12 years ago
This is so fun to hear, so looking forward to summer here in Minnesota. March was very warm for us but then April turneded cool, think the months got mixed up! LOL! Anyways, have seen white cabbage and yellow sulfer butterflies, red admirals and painted ladies so far. Anxious for the Monarchs, in some parts of Minnesota they have been spotted but I have not seen one yet.
butterflymomok
12 years ago
That is so exciting, Susan! It's looking like Oklahoma is going to be "butterfly blessed" this year. I sure hope you get some Mourning Cloak eggs.

It's not the size of the lot but the diversity you offer that brings them in.

Sandy
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
12 years ago
We started early here in central Ohio but it is not strong. RAs/QMs have been here for weeks but I still have no cats. Come to think of it, I don't know that I've seen an RA for the last week. I wonder if they just passed through.

Giant silk moths are early too. Unfortunately, it seems too early for the males. They show up at my house but they can't close the deal. It is frustrating for me and the girls. :D

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MissSherry
12 years ago
Hehehe.....you must be talking about those males that blindly bang up against the sides of the cage, KC!

Your butterfly explosion sounds beyond anything I've ever seen here, Susan! I usually get clouds of butterflies in my garden in early fall, but what you're describing is truly unusual and wonderful!

I just remembered, weren't you going to move to an apartment? It doesn't sound like you actually did, and I'm so happy for you!

Sherry
caterwallin
12 years ago
Wow, Susan, it sounds like you have a real Butterfly Wonderland there at your place! I'm so happy for you and hope that you get lots of eggs!
Cathy
Tony G
12 years ago
Susan, what do you put in your suet feeder and what types of butterflies do you attract? Congrats on your Butterfly Utopia!
susanlynne48
Original Author
12 years ago
Coolbutterfly, I put black, decomposing bananas in it - that's all. A lot of people use various mixes that include things like molasses, beer, etc., but I haven't found that necessary at all. The butterflies I get here that are of the fruit feeding variety include:

Red Admiral
Question Mark
Tawny Emperor
Hackberry Emperor
Mourning Cloak
Comma (I haven't seen one of these, but I understand they are around Oklahoma)

The Red Admirals will also feed on flower nectar.

Two Checkered Whites showed up on the Coreopsis today. I've never had or raised the caterpillars, so maybe they'll lay eggs as well.

Susan
Tony G
12 years ago
Thanks Susan! The only butterfly I got with my gatorade/rotten banana was a comma. There are a lot of red admirals around but they are definitely nectaring. It's cold right now, but starting Sunday, we are in for a week of warm weather! can't wait to see who flutters in. Have a great weekend, Tony
susanlynne48
Original Author
12 years ago
Tony, I've found with fruit feeders, I need to be consistent with putting them out. I even have the neighbors calling me when their fruit goes bad, lol!

Now some years you will get more variety than others - like I am seeing this year But even in the lean years, I will get some - like last year at one time I had about 40 Hackberry Emperors on them.

Oh, forgot to mention, I also get the Nessus Sphinx on mine. I have Virginia Creeper which is their larval host plant, so I get a lot of them later in the year as well. They are really cool and fun to watch. I've raised several of them.

If you put out the fruit feeder, the Red Admirals will divide their time between it and the flowers.

Susan
wildturnip
12 years ago
So inspiring to hear about your butterflies. Now i know what to do with those overripe bananas.

Isn't the sphinx moth caterpillar also tomato hornworm? They sure look alike. Didn't know their host is Virginia Creeper. I have some of that growing wild even in my shady yard.

Am getting old and may not be able to keep planting veggies forever at my community garden plot in sun, so now i know what i want to do--keep it and put in more perennials for butterflies. Already have hummers coming for crocosmia and trumpet vine. Have monarda, phlox, golden banner, rudbeckia, sage, agastache, clover, geraniums, sunflowers, annuals like zinnia, cosmos, marigold, etc., but now want to deliberately plant for butterflies and bees.

When my son was little we found cats on parsley and raised and released beautiful swallowtails.

thanks again for sharing. Love this forum.

Beverly

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