Warm weather - late butterflies - and a first for our yard!

16 years ago

Howdy all! This warm weather here in Chicago this month has sure been crazy. I've delayed cutting back all of our annuals (so I can plant some bulbs), and am glad I did! Saturday I counted about 5-6 Painted Ladies on the zinnias - and also our first Buckeye! What a gorgeous little butterfly! Saw all of the butterflies Sunday as well - it was in the 70's outside (what month is this again?).

I am thinking this generation of PLs flitting about were possibly supposed to overwinter... now a cold front has come through, so I'm wondering how this is going to affect next years population? Wonder if there will be enough time for them to reproduce/hatch/pupate... before it gets really REALLY cold? Our first avereage first frost date is October 15. Hmm...

Here's a photo of the little Buckeye - on "Wowie Zowie" zinnias (great nectar flower btw!).

Happy fall, everyone -

Sandy :)

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Comments (11)

emmayct
16 years ago
That's a beautiful little butterfly!

I think that up north here the ladies don't overwinter, but rather repopulate anew each spring from down south. You might be seeing more now because they are migrating through your area .

I'm not sure how far down south they have to go.

Maryann
sandwhy
Original Author
16 years ago
Aha! Thanks for the info Maryann. Hopefully they all got out of here before ahead of the cold front (it's now 51 degrees out there!) :)

Sandy
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emmayct
16 years ago
Sandy, I wish you'd keep that cold out there!

But I know that you seem to be just upstream of us and what you have, we'll soon get. Today was just another glorious October day. Still seeing plenty of Clouded and Orange Sulphurs, Sachems, Ladies, and Monarchs. And today a Gray Hairstreak.

Maryann
caterwallin
16 years ago
Sandy, I think I'm jealous that you can get that butterfly at your place. ;-) I haven't seen any here yet. I planted host plants for them but no butterflies came anyway to lay eggs. Darn it. I think buckeyes are so beautiful.
Cathy
butterflymomok
16 years ago
Hi ladies,

Prepare yourselves. It was cold and wet here in Oklahoma today. No BFs out. Brrrrrrrrrr. I'm so spoiled by our nice weather that I'm not ready for the cold.

Sandy
sandwhy
Original Author
16 years ago
Maryann - sorry about the weather! :P I think the stuff that is hitting OKSandy is here too.... and... yeah... probably headed your way. Doh!

Cathy - this Buckeye was a first for us here! Must check the FAQs and my books but I understand snapdragons are a host? Our neighbor across the street had a TON of them in a huge drift in her front yard this summer/fall. Wonder if that's what attracted them??

Sandy
sandwhy
Original Author
16 years ago
Blue vervain is also a host?? well hell's bells I had some of that in my yard for the first time this year. Which reminds me of my mantra for my garden: If you build it, they will come! :)
caterwallin
16 years ago
Sandy, Yes, I know what you mean about being spoiled by the nice weather. This has been our warmest October on record, I think. Most days it's been about 15-20 degrees above normal for this time of the year. Hey, I wouldn't care if it would stay like this all winter, but I know it won't. Some colder weather is headed our way soon. We're supposed to get rain today. I'm not ready for the cold either. I don't like the winter.

Sandywhy, I bet you were really thrilled to see the buckeye. I think they are one of the prettiest butterflies. Yes, snapdragons are a host plant of theirs. I've read on here that the small ones are the ones they like to lay their eggs on. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. I had snapdragons planted last year and this year. No butterflies go to them for nectar, but they sure have pretty flowers. I'd plant them even if I weren't trying to attract buckeyes. If you neighbor has snapdragons, then that's probably why there were so many buckeyes over there.

Yes, blue vervain (Verbena hastata is a host plants for hem. Here's what I have listed as being host plants for the Common Buckeye:
- Snapdragon family, Scrophulariaceae
- Plaintain family, Plantaginaceae
- Vervain family, Verbenaceae
Wild Foxglove (Agalinis fasciculata)
Twinflower (Dyschoriste spp.)
Wild Petunia (Ruellia caroliniana)
Thickleaf Wild Petunia (Ruellia succulenta)
Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)
Owl's Clover (Orthocarpus spp.)
Narrowleaf Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Narrowleaf Plantain (Plantago major)
Monkey Flower (Mimulus)
Snapdragon, Toadflax (Linaria), Buddleia
Paintbrush
Gerardia (Agalinus tenuifolia)
Angelonia angustifolia (summer snapdragon)

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong about any of these.
Cathy
butterflymomok
16 years ago
Cathy,

You are right on. I'm the party that had all the Buckeyes on my pot of dwarf snapdragons. I'm not sure about the variety, but I can tell you they had narrower leaves than most snapdragons. I had over 2 dozen cats on them.

Buckeyes are funny about host plants. One year they'll use linaria as a host and the next year, they'll snub it. They might use plantain. And, they might show up on snapdragons. You just never can tell. I think Gerardia is probably the most consistent plant, and that is a difficult plant to get started. I'm going to try to get some established for next summer.

Sandy
sandwhy
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the info, everyone! Very excited about the prospect of having these guys around next year.... :)

Sandy
jmcat
16 years ago
Well, I don't feel too much sympathy for most of you on the weather. Almost everything here has frozen by now, and we've already had about three inches of snow.
I don't recall seeing anyone else on this forum except for Sandy who is in zone 5, and I don't think I've seen anyone here below zone 5.
Anyway, congratulations on the Buckeye!
-Jmcat

Warm weather - late butterflies - and a first for our yard!

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Warm weather - late butterflies - and a first for our yard!

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