5 Most Common:
Other Common Species:
- Polydamas Swallowtail
- Blues (Cassius and Ceranus)
- Fiery Skipper
- Orange Barred Sulphur
- Spicebush Swallowtail
- White Peacock
- Duskywings
Occasional Spottings:
- Phaon Crescent
- Silver-Spotted Skipper
- Pipevine Swallowtail
- Giant Swallowtail
- Gray Hairstreak
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Common Buckeye
Notes from the Field:
- On a recent drive to Plant City to pick up milkweed for our hungry Danaid larvae, we noted quite a few Whites fluttering around the fields. As farmers plant mustard greens and collards for the cool season, this is certainly to be expected in those areas.
- The bright yellow flowers of the Cassia bushes are starting to produce those glorious bright yellow caterpillars in turn, and finding them to raise in the lab is as easy as plucking blueberries from bushes. All around the area, wherever a Cassia bush is in bloom, it's pretty much always surrounded by a cloud of sulphurs laying eggs as fast as they can.
- We've had a few cool nights (down into the 50s) and some windy days in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, and it's always amazing to watch butterflies adapt to the changing weather conditions. Even when the nights are chilly, as soon as the sun is up butterflies are out "solar-charging" their bodies using their wings (they can raise their body temperature up to 20 degrees this way), and are flying long before we're ready to take off our jackets!
Great to hear there are still so many butterflies flying in Florida. Funny to hear you talking of glorious cooler weather. We are now getting frosts at night and only a few degrees above freezing during the day.
ReplyDeleteThis is what we like to call the 'let's go outside' time of year. Here in Tampa average summer temperatures run about 30C to 37C. Today is forecast with a high of about 24.5C and a low around 15C... you know, perfect.
ReplyDeleteIn Florida, this is the most wonderful time of the year.
Sorry for your chill! I'll be visiting your side of the pond sometime in June and have been warned that June in Northern Ireland is still considered sweater weather.
Kirsten. I imagine that any time in Ireland or Scotland would be considered sweater weather for someone from Florida! The Irish will make up for it with a wonderful warm welcome, though! I go there regularly on a vintage car rally and it is such a friendly country.
DeleteWill you be doing a "What's Flying in December"? I would love to have an idea of what I may see in St Lucia later this month!
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteThis month's what's Flying is precisely the same as last December. That post is here: http://lepcurious.blogspot.com/2011/12/whats-flying-december.html
Hopefully, you will get to see more species in St. Lucia!
Have you seen this West Indies butterfly list? http://www.focusonnature.com/CaribbeanButterfliesList.htm
Thanks Kirsten. Yes, that is a good web site (almost as good as your blog!!) Actually, it's not as good as yours as it doesn't say what time of year each butterfly will be seen! I find it hard to believe that there are butterflies flying anywhere in the world with our snowy, frosty weather just now. I really can't wait to see the sun again and I am so excited about seeing some new species of butterflies. I guess that with St Lucia being that bit further south there may be even more species flying there!
Delete