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Butterfly Garden

Happy Dance

16 years ago

"I'm so excited, I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it."

Was looking out the window and saw a very erratic flying pattern in general, but it was also trying to evade a bird that was chasing it. I just knew it wasn't something that had been in my garden before. Ran outside with the camera, got a very fuzzy picture.

It was a Zebra Swallowtail and it was laying eggs on one of the pawpaw trees that I planted in autumn 2005. But it laid them right on the tops of the highest leaves. I was stunned to see it because I really doubt that anyone else in the neighborhood has any pawpaws. How do they find these things when there are most likely only two trees in the whole area -- my two trees.

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Comments (7)

sandwhy
16 years ago
LOL at your lyrics! and WOW! that is awesome about the ZS and your pawpaw tree! Woo-hoo!!!

Hopefully you'll have many more opportunities for photo-ops. :)

Sandy
MissSherry
16 years ago
You lucky duck, you! Send that ZS my way, will ya?
MissSherry
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susanlynne48
16 years ago
Wow....a ZST.....wow! I'm speechless!

Susan
aggscott
16 years ago
Now that is a really cool butterfly! I saw one of them at a butterfly garden and I couldn't stop watching it, it doesn't look real or something.

Good luck with your new butterfly eggs~**

Aggie
susanlynne48
16 years ago
Zebz - where are you located? Just wondering if you're in their immediate range.

Susan
zebz
Original Author
16 years ago
We are definitely within their range. There are many pawpaw trees along the Potomac River in the Wash. DC area and ZST. But the river is about six miles from us and I'd not seen one here before this year. It stayed only long to lay three eggs (that I know of for sure) and then disappeared. Am hoping for many more.

I'm in a quandry about bringing in the eggs. I generally let nature takes its course but want them to hatch and survive. The one time I brought in a monarch, I was obsessing like a first time parent. It was waaaaaaay too stressful. lol
ericwi
16 years ago
Monarch butterflies have an amazing ability to find milkweed, even early in the season, when the milkweed has not yet bloomed. I have found monarch eggs on immature milkweed, surrounded by taller grass, and therefore difficult to see. The best explanation for this that I can think of is that the monarchs have an ability to sense, or smell, the odor of the plant that they use as a host. They are able to home in on the source of the odor, much as an airplane flying across the pacific can home in on a radio beacon. If monarch butterflies can do this, it seems likely that other butterflies can home in on their favorite plants. I am not aware of any experiments that have been done to prove this out.

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?what to do with this little guy?

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