Birds do it, bees do it, and butterflies do too. Early fall is butterfly heaven in Tucson, and Tohono Chul Park is jam-packed with many beautiful species of butterflies.
Here are some beautiful queen butterflies, sampling the delights of ageratum:
The butterflies are males (as evidenced by the black-enclosed white dot on their hindwings), and they are imbibing an alkaloid that will help them produce a pheromone that some references say “aids in mating.” My butterfly app says that the pheromone enables them to “subdue the female,” so you might think of it as a butterfly date drug.
These pipevine swallowtails were caught mating in the top of a palo verde tree:
Two days ago, while on a bird walk, my buddy Sue and I saw a young butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. In this brief video you can see the flashes of color appear:
It was a beautiful Gulf Fritillary,
but we had to move on before it had dried out and pumped up its wings.
The very early life of a butterfly is fraught with peril. See how I rescued one in my earlier post on Butterfly First Aid.
Yeah, the caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation has to be weird. And we think puberty is tough...
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way! I've often thought about that, imagining a self-aware butterfly and how it must feel going to sleep as a creepy-crawly and waking up as a flyer that can hardly walk at all. Would they go back to the old form if they could? It's got to feel safer. I guess it's a good thing they aren't self-aware. As far as we know.
DeleteAnd the butterfly exhibit at Tucson Botanical Garden had an abundance of foreign butterflies flitting around. Some of them pose for you, others just never stop flying around. And it was mighty hot in the greenhouse. But a treat nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI've been to that a few times and agree it is a treat. This year I am just concentrating on domestic butterflies. My goal is to learn six more species before the season is over. I already have one.
DeleteGreat shots, especially the fritillary. I really enjoyed being back and going on your walk. Thank you. What a special moment seeing the fritillary emerge. Yesterday at Catalina, very few birds, but the Pinacates were everywhere. Must be a good time to be an insect in Tucson. S
ReplyDeleteIt was great to walk with you, and thanks for spotting the emergence. I hear there are a gazillion birds at Sweetwater, including several warblers. Want to go when the plant sale is over? As for the insects... I think it must be a great time to be an insectivore in Tucson.
DeleteWe've had an uptick in butterflies the past week as well. I'm lousy at butterfly ID, but they look similar to your queen butterflies -- maybe a bit darker orange.
ReplyDeleteThe queens are members of a large family of royal butterflies (Monarch, Viceroy, I think some others) that all look something alike. They are all milkweed specialists.
Delete