What I didn't tell you is that its tail goes under the lily pads, and clear over to the other side of the pond......about 4' over. haha just kidding. I wonder if it will still lose the tail?

According to what I've read, long-tailed skippers, like many other skippers but not all, exude a wax that makes the chrysalis appear frosted. I've linked to an interesting article. I love the long-tailed skipper adults - their teal coloring is unique and very beautiful! And by the way, the last of the three cats is pupating now. I've used Canons, Lumix, and Kodak point-and-shoot cameras, and my last one, the Lumix, gave out recently - as usual, the lens lost its retractability and got stuck in the "out" position. So I ordered a simple Canon PowerShot Elph100HS from B&H - thanks, Sandy! - for barely over $100, and I've noticed right away that it makes much clearer pictures than the Lumix and the Kodak - the last time my pix were this clear was when I had my other Canon, which was a more expensive model. I figured if it had the Canon parts, it would still be good, just like a Toyota and Lexus both have the same engines. I thought about upgrading to the Canon Rebel SLR, but having a camera that I can carry in my pocket is important to me, so I'll just buy a new one every few years when the lens gets stuck! I still don't have any gulf frit eggs or cats, not even any variegated frits, which returned last year. Maybe later.... Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: Long-tailed Skipper Information

Another long-tailed skipper emerged this morning. I made a lot of pictures of it, but the bug keeper I put the chrysalis in is made of plastic, which must be what made all the pictures blurry. I made one halfway decent one, then opened the top to get a better one that showed the top colors, and it flew out - I tell you, these LTSs are ready to go as quickly after emerging from the chrysalis as any I've ever seen! The colors didn't look as brilliant as they do on the ones I see nectaring in my garden, so it was either a female or it was still wet enough to darken the color. Anyway, here's a side view of him/her - Sherry

I finally saw my first long-tailed skipper of the year this afternoon. I tried to get a good picture of it, but it kept skipping around, not staying on one flower cluster long enough for me to get a good one. This is all I could get, but I'm certainly glad to know that they still exist! The desmodium is all in bloom, so, hopefully, if this is a female, I'll get some eggs and cats. I don't think it is, though, I think it's a male. Sherry