That is absolutely beautiful! Thanks.

Oh my goodness, Sandy, how wonderful!
If you got eggs, that would be wonderful, but I've read they have a strange way of reproducing - the EGGS overwinter, or something like that.
Anyway, I imagine you've studied up on it. To have diana cats next year would be the bomb!
Sherry

beautiful!

Dianas lay their eggs on twigs and leaf litter on the ground around violets. The eggs hatch and the tiny caterpillars go underground to emerge in the spring. It's about the right time for egg-laying. There is only one generation per year, so these butterflies must have longer life expectancies than other species. This is the first time I've seen a female in my garden in the late summer. I see quite a few of them over at the Cherokee WMA in early September. They love to nectar on the thistles on the fringes of the woods.

{{gwi:532360}}

Sandy

She is indeed beautiful. I hope she left you some eggs.
:-)

~Laura

She's back again this evening, nectaring on all of the butterfly bushes. Still hoping for eggs. Also saw a Red Spotted Purple and a Viceroy on the Buddleia. This was all after seven.

Sandy

Woohoo!
Eggs are possible!
Sherry

Sandy, are you having any trouble keeping your Buddleia from dying in this heat? I have three different varieties (don't know the names of them but one is purple with small clusters of flowers, and two are light pink.) The purple one is seriously struggling. I've watered and watered but it's just shriveling up and getting crispy. And one of the pink ones is struggling too. :-(

~Laura

Oh gosh, I just *Love* the coloring on this one Sandy, Thank you for sharing! :)

~Tina Marie

Laura,
The buddleaias are suffering. Blooms are smaller than normal and drying up quickly. Leaves are looking cooked. I am hoping to get all the old blooms deheaded with hopes of fresh blooms coming on stronger. I am watering daily--just the garden plants and trees. It's important to keep them alive, no matter how bad they get to looking.

Sandy

My butterfly bushes are seriously being attacked by the Mamorated Stink Bug. They are sucking the life out of them.

Todd Stout has some great info on breeding, raising, and wintering over many species of butterflies. I've posted the his website.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raising Butterflies by Todd Stout

Great pictures of a beautiful butterfly.

Bob

Thank you, Bob.

O M GEE! She is beautiful!

Wonderful! Thanks, Sandy.

Jeff

You're very welcome, Jeff. She's back again this evening! She's not nectaring but taking in moisture from the soil where I watered today. She's hiding under some plants. I actually "flushed her out" when I was walking around the garden to check on what was out. But she flew back down. I haven't seen any egg-laying behaviors, but I'm so stoked that she is staying around!!

Sandy

That's fantastic, Sandy!
I'm so glad you're keeping your garden watered, no matter what. That's probably why she's staying at your place - she can get shade and moisture. In the process, she may lay you some eggs.
Sherry