What’s Flying? - October

Well, we’ve had our first taste of slightly cooler weather, although this week we’re back to heat and humidity. Fall is waiting in the wings for summer to bow out gracefully, and by the end of this month we can expect working in the garden to become much more pleasant. Even as summer weather winds down, though, the butterfly population in Central Florida is still going strong. Here’s what we’re seeing in the BioWorks gardens right now:

5 Most Common:

• Gulf Fritillary
• Zebra Longwing
• Polydamas Swallowtail
• Long Tailed Skipper
• Cloudless Sulphur

Other Common Species:

• Monarch
• Blues (Cassius and Ceranus)
• Fiery Skipper
• Orange Barred Sulphur
• Spicebush Swallowtail
• White Peacock
• Duskywings
• Phaon Crescent

• Tropical Checkered Skipper
• Barred Yellow
• Giant Swallowtail
• Sleepy Orange
• Pipevine Swallowtail

Occasional Spottings:

• Black Swallowtail
• Silver-Spotted Skipper
• Gray Hairstreak
• Queen
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
• Painted Lady
• Common Buckeye

Notes From the Field:

• The unexpectedly early reappearance of Painted Ladies and even a few Common Buckeyes is really just in line with the pattern of 2012, where just about everything seems to be happening a month early or so. We spotted these species not long after the northern states received their first good cold front, so undoubtedly these butterflies were heading south ahead of that weather system.
• Fall clean-up is mostly done in the garden (thanks, Tomlin Middle School!) and we’re gearing up for the cooler season ahead. As the weather moderates, the number of species we raise in the lab will taper off somewhat, giving us more time outside to keep the gardens looking their best.