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Cloudless Sulphurs

15 years ago

The cloudless sulphurs are arriving here in their usual big, fall numbers, and there are lots of those white eggs on my Cassia bicapsularis/Christmas cassia plants. Every year about this same time I raise some - those cats that come a little later get to eat the flowers and turn yellow.

It was dark this morning on account of thick clouds, and I finally got a halfway decent picture of a cloudless sulphur. They usually nectar in bright sunshine, and the sunlight causes the butterfly to be overexposed - 'something about that yellow color, I guess -

{{gwi:536999}}

Sherry

Comments (6)

  • 15 years ago

    Sherry,
    Looks pretty good to me having not seen any this season. I tweeked it to better exposure and clarity and saved it as a reminder of what I am missing. Their cats are always fun to rear for those who don't get them very often. Not much flying here despite most plants in full bloom. Its hot again with not a cloud in the sky. Right now most of our weather comes from tropical Pacific storms. They say we might catch a little rain from Hilary this weekend if she doesn't break down too fast when she hits Baja. Most of it will go south of us through northern AZ like usual though. There has been lots of rain all around us for weeks, some very heavy causing flash floods, but it just doesn't get to LV very often. Even when it does by being in the hottest part of the valley I seldom get any even then.
    Larry

  • 15 years ago

    Beautiful catch, Sherry. The detail and color are lovely. Thank you for sharing.

    I've been seeing yellow butterflies feeding on blooming plants on our deck but they move so quickly I'm not certain they are exactly like the one in your photo. Now that I can clearly see and study the markings, maybe I can ID the little beauties flitting around our area.

    ~Mary

  • 15 years ago

    I wish you were seeing more leps, Larry!
    Mary, this female has a lot of spots, but most males don't have any spots, they're just pure light yellow with a greenish tinge. Also, some females aren't this yellow, they're almost white. There has been one female like that nectaring in my garden.
    My Salvia regla is just beginning to bloom. When it's in full bloom, if the blooms attract hordes of sulphurs as usual, I'm going to try and get a picture. This plant only blooms once a year, but it's a sulphur magnet, and it grows in a mostly shady part of my garden where a lot of other things won't bloom, so I keep it.

    Sherry

  • 15 years ago

    One of my favorites! You are right about the colors and cameras. Although most of them here are pale in comparison. I got to raise some last year but not this year.
    This year has been Sleepy Oranges. I raised a bunch of those. I was so mad at myself. I released one yesterday and the temps were really low. So, it just sat on a lantana bloom. Normally those guys never sit still. I forgot my camera :(. Rats!
    -Elisabeth

  • 15 years ago

    Sherry, do you haave the Dwarf Red Porterweed? That really, really attracts the CS's in the summer here. They also love the Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red', and the white Cypress Vine, and the pink & white Salvia coccinea.

    Beautiful photo! I've only seen one female all summer. I usually see lots.

    Susan

  • 15 years ago

    Susan, I have had red porterweed in the past, but it never came back in the spring - too cold tender - so I've stuck with coral porterweed, which always does come back.
    Speaking of porterweed, I found a seedling just outside the fence around my house. I've never grown any in that area, so I assume some bird spread the seed from the garden. I've also grown blue/purple porterweed, and it comes back sometimes, sometimes not, so it might be a blue or purple flowering porterweed. I transplanted this seedling to my garden.
    I had S. coccinea last year, but I don't know if it was the cultivar 'Lady in Red' - whatever type it was, it reseeded prolifically, with many seedlings coming up in my garden this past spring. I planted them where I wanted them, and most all the butterflies, especially sulphurs, just love it, also the hummers use it.
    I've also got a pink and white salvia, sort of a coral color actually, that's leaves look like S. coccinea, so I guess this is the one you're talking about. It returned from the roots this spring, which was nice. I see butterflies on it occasionally.
    I don't have any cypress vine, but I should have - it sure attracts sulphurs and hummers, too!
    Sherry