The egg in the above picture has apparently hatched, since there's now an AL nest there. There's also another nest on some nearby G. purpureum or G. pensylvanicum, whichever it is, so I know there are at least two more nests in my garden. I'm only feeding one caterpillar in a cage (there are 6 or 7 chrysalides) and it's another dark one. My second AL butterfly emerged, and it had been a dark caterpillar, like none I've ever seen before. I thought there was something wrong with it, but it made a perfect butterfly, just a little darker than normal, with more black. This one is apparently going to be the same - Compare it to this regular AL cat - Black swallowtail caterpillars have a dark form, apparently American ladies do, too. Whenever I feed any AL cats the G. obtusifolium/rabbit's tobacco, they eat it down to the nub. Since they seem to like it so well, I'm going to hunt for plants coming up on the property and transplant them to the garden. I know of one I'll transplant today, I'll leave another one for the time being to finish feeding this remaining cat, and I'll look for more to transplant. I didn't realize they liked the taste of it so much better than cudweed/G. purpureum. Sherry

Yes, Cathy, the Verbena is one nectar plant I absolutely cannot do without any more - it is that popular with the butterflies! You get a lot more butterflies laying eggs that I don't seem to attract at all - even by planting their host plants. Like the American Ladies and Painted Ladies. I see them nectaring, but never any eggs....that I can find anyway. Also the GSFs and VFs (I think you get these, don't you?). And the Pipevines. My pipevines were extremely damaged in the hail storm and I lost a lot of eggs, too, as a result. Had to completely cut my Hops vine to the ground, and lost a whole lot of False Nettle as well, which wasn't doing that well in the first place. Yesterday, though, Mama BST came to visit, and I now have lots of eggs on my short little fennel - it too was badly damaged by the hail and I had to cut back many, many broken stems. The Rue is okay, though, so I may have to feed them some of it. So far this year, I've had Hackberry Emperors, Tawny Emperors, Red Admirals, Question Marks, Sleepy Oranges, and Tiger Swallowtails, which I've never had before. Out of 5 eggs, though, only 1 has survived, and is now about 4th instar. He is sooooooo cute. Would love to have more of these. You guys, I saw that HUGE Orange butterfly yesterday again. Too orange to be a Cloudless, but looks even bigger than them. Too big to be a Sleepy Orange. What is it? It has my curiousity piqued! It is shaping up to be a great butterfly year - sans Monarchs. Have not seen a single one. But I have seen lots of different butterflies that have not layed eggs - Mourning Cloak, Giant Swallowtail, Clouded, Dogface, Painted Lady, Goatwing, Red Spotted Purple (my 1st!), various Skippers, WID. Hope you get some soon, Nancy! It is frustrating when populations go in different directions and the regulars are seemingly MIA. Susan

From Dr. James Scott's CD-ROM, "The Butterflies of North America, "A Natural History and Field Guide." I recommend this for easy access to information on butterflies. Centaurea solstitialis, nigra, is listed for the Painted Lady. The ladies do share some common host plants. "Vanessa virginiensis American Painted Lady Hostplants herb Compositae: Gnaphalium palustre, obtusifolium, bicolor, purpureum, Antennaria parvifolia, plantaginifolia, neodioica, Anaphalis margaritacea, Artemisia douglasiana, absinthium (?), stelleriana (?), ludoviciana, Arctium lappa, Cirsium arvense, Carduus, Onopordum acanthium, Silybum marianum, Helianthus, Vernonia, Senecio maritima (?), cineraria; Boraginaceae: Echium vulgare, Myosotis; Leguminosae: Lupinus; Malvaceae: Althaea rosea, Malva; Urticaceae: Urtica; Balsaminaceae: Impatiens capensis (?); Scrophulariaceae: Antirrhinum. Prefers the Compositae tribe Inuleae (the first three genera)." __________________________________________ "Vanessa cardui Painted Lady Hostplants herb (rarely shrub or tree) Compositae: Cirsium arvense, texanum, discolor, vulgare, occidentale, muticum, altissimum, undulatum, breweri, neomexicanum, centaureae, solstitialis, hydrophilum, scopulorum, hesperium, Cynara scolymus, Onopordum acanthium, Silybum marianum, Carduus nutans, acanthoides, crispus, Arctium lappa, minus, Lappa officinalis, Cnicus benedictus, Artemisia frigida, stelleriana, vulgaris, ludoviciana var. gnaphalodes, Calendula officinalis, Centaurea solstitialis, nigra, Achillea millefolium, Anaphalis margaritacea, Helianthus annuus, argophyllus, Helianthella, Filago arvensis (Europe), Helichrysum, Lactuca sativa, Chrysanthemum, Parthenium argentatum, Senecio maritima (?), cineraria (?), Serratula (?), Wyethia glabra, Tanacetum, Xanthium pennsylvanicum var. canadense; Boraginaceae: Amsinckia douglasiana, Borago officinalis, Cryptantha angustifolia, Echium vulgare, Nonea, Anchusa officinalis, Symphytum officinale, Lycopsis; Malvaceae: Althaea rosea, officinalis, Malva parviflora, sylvestris, neglecta, nicaeensis, moschata, Sida hederacea, Sphaeralcea ambigua, Gossypium; Chenopodiaceae: Beta vulgaris, Chenopodium album (?); Hydrophyllaceae: Eriodictyon californicum, Phacelia campanularia; Leguminosae: Glycine max, Lupinus bicolor, albifrons, formosus, perennis, arboreus, argenteus, succulentus, arcticus var. subalpinus, Medicago sativa, Phaseolus vulgaris, Pisum sativum, Trifolium; Urticaceae: Soleirolia (Helxine), Parietaria, Urtica urens, dioica ssp. gracilis (?); Labiatae: Mentha, Salvia, Stachys sieboldii; Verbenaceae: Lantana; Solanaceae: Nicotiana glauca, Petunia, Solanum tuberosum; Rosaceae: Fragaria, Prunus (a tree); Convolvulaceae: Ipomoea batatas; Plantaginaceae: Plantago lanceolata; Cruciferae: Raphanus sativus; Polygonaceae: Rumex; Umbelliferae: Eryngium; vine Cucurbitaceae: Cucumis melo; shrub Rhamnaceae: Rhamnus; tree Ulmaceae: Ulmus americana; tree Rutaceae: Citrus sinensis; the grass Zea mays (in Europe). Obviously prefers Compositae, esp. Cirsium. Sometimes a pest on Iowa soybeans (Glycine). One larva eats about 234 square cm of soybean leaves in its lifetime, all but 7 square cm in the last two larval stages (F. Poston)."

Welcome! Well, I am humbled that people are still utilizing my very first attempt at a 'website' with My Monarch Guide! That particular site was developed when my then-Kindergarten class was a finalist in an Animal Planet/Discovery Channel contest and I knew we needed some way to get the message across to MORE people about the plight of the Monarch butterfly. :) Since then, I have learned to become MUCH more website savvy (or so I hope!) and now have new, more streamlined websites. Interestingly enough, today was my very FIRST YES meeting (Young Entomologists' Society) at the middle school level. I moved back to teaching math last year and, with the change in grade level, didn't have a 'club' last year but decided to go official this school year. My classroom during lunch was SO packed the assistant principal came in to see just why so many kids kept crossing the line (there's a strict code at my school) to get into my classroom. Good thing the Fire Dept. didn't get involved as I probably had at least 60 kids in my room! I talked and shared pictures of 'bug babies' today and the kids were enthralled. So, why do I do this and why do I 'raise butterflies?' Good question. I didn't start out do do anything! My dog, Tifanny got me going. She has since passed on (cancer took her from me), but her legacy lives on in my call name. I've learned that raising butterflies has provided ME with a link to the environment (I now am co-leader for our school's environment club!) and a much better understanding of gardening in general. What, in the past, was just a passing interest has broadened my SCIENTIFIC knowledge and background; to the point where kids think I am a fount of knowledge (ha!). I share how I only know so much and that I am always learning, too! Learning about butterflies and raising them has provided me with the opportunity to grow professionally; I teach butterfly science courses through a local university now. My husband, who raises exotic Plumeria (Frangipani) has been able to propagate new hybrids thanks to my butterflies (much to the shock and disbelief of the Plumeria community; now, the community has changed its beliefs about butterflies!!). Garden 'bugs' are seen with a different eye…instead of being an 'eeeeuw!' I now see them with a different lens and am more apt to grab a container to SAVE the little beast instead of a shoe to smash 'em. How the little insects transform our lives and the impact that each creature has in the world makes a difference, which we don't often pay attention to. My raising butterflies has opened up MY eyes and so, I continue to raise them, hoping that by my doing so, and my sharing this with others, that I can provide people with an eye-opening experience as well. CalSherry aka tdogmom Here is a link that might be useful: Learn about Monarchs