We have had a record number of sulphur butterflies emerge in our butterfly house, 25 in 10 days. We’ve had both orange barred and cloudless sulphur butterflies emerge.
The best part . . . the number of sulphurs fluttering about the garden every day continuing the life cycle. The photo below shows many white eggs that have been deposited on the edge of the candlestick cassia plant.
I am slowly extending my butterfly garden to the front of my house, so I can see the butterflies as I am working in my office. It’s been a great project. One because I am beautifying my space more, and two because I am seeing tons of butterflies.
Today while typing yellow caught my eye dragging it to look out the window. So, of course, I grabbed my camera and stepped outside to see if my vision was correct. Yes! A sulphur, a beautiful sulphur is visiting my Bahama cassia tree depositing lots of eggs. I believe by its marking, it may be an orange-barred sulphur. It is hard for me to tell the difference between the cloudless sulphur, and the orange-barred sulphur butterfly. As the caterpillars grow it will be easier for me to decipher which one.
When we first began our butterfly house, I decided to keep count of how many we raised and released, as well as the species. I am so glad I did. Last year, 2022, was an incredible year in our butterfly house with seven species raised, totaling 374 butterflies.
Unfortunately since Hurricane Ian swept through our area in late September, I have not seen all of these species return. Their host plants have remained and are thriving, so hopefully as the seasons change, they will return and allow us to watch their process from egg to butterfly happen once again.
With that said, we also have frequent visitors from other species that I have not raised within the butterfly house, which include the zebra longwing butterfly and the white peacock butterfly. There is also a host of skippers that frequent the gardens for its nectar, but I have never found any eggs, or caterpillars.
I hope our garden, and butterfly house, thrives in 2023 as well.
I have listed the butterflies, as well as the number that we have released, with their photos below. To say I have compiled quite a library of butterfly photos is an understatement.
Julia butterflies (8);
eastern black swallowtail (2);
giant swallowtail (2);
cloudless sulphur (3);
polydamas swallowtail (14);
gulf fritillary (71)
and monarch butterflies (274).
The sulphur butterflies are very similar and sometimes hard to identify, as many have the same markings on the same areas of their forewing and hindwing. I am almost certain this is a cloudless sulphur, as it is how I have identified it in the past.
So, here are some photos of the caterpillar, chrysalis, and this magnificent butterfly.
Our sulphur butterfly emerged in the butterfly house this morning after creating its chrysalis on Sept. 18. This beauty was in no hurry today, sitting on my hand and finger for a good long while before taking its first flight. So, this beauty had a photoshoot of more than 60 photos. I was hoping I would be able to take a photo with its wings open, but the sulphur had another plan.
I believe this one is a female, as I have read that males are solid yellow, while the females have a black border, as well as a dark spot on the forewing’s center, which you can see through the closed wings.
Their wing span is about 2 1/4 to 3 1/8 inches.
I am in awe of this butterfly’s eyes and the magnificent shade of yellow.
The cloudless sulphur, phoebis sennae, has been one of the most challenging butterflies to photograph in the garden. Today I was able to capture a few good photos of her laying eggs on my cassia tree.
I read that under the yellow scales of their wings, hides a yellow-green layer of scales.
The caterpillars will eat leaves from both the cassia, and senna plants, both members of the pea family. I have noticed that the caterpillars change colors throughout their instars, which I read is dependent on the color of leaves, blooms they eat. If the leaves are green, the caterpillar is dominantly green. If the consume yellow blooms they change to that color.
