The rain has been consistent in kissing my Southwest Florida garden, helping new flowers bloom, and enticing the butterflies to visit.
Garden in bloom
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Tag Archives: lantana
A new visitor
Tonight while I was watering the garden I saw a tiny butterfly making stops at our nectar flowers. It waited in our garden long enough for me to run indoors and grab my camera. Then it posed, sitting on a white lantana watching me taking photos.
This little beauty is called a tropical checkered skipper. From research these butterflies lay eggs on plants of the mallow, or hibiscus family. Thomas C. Emmel of “Florida’s Fabulous Butterflies,” stated that the caterpillar will make a shelter by taking the leaf, folding and tying it together to hide during the day.
I did not have a chance to see the top of the wing, as it moved too fast when flying away. Too bad, as the top of the wings for males have “long, bluish-white hairs,” while females are much darker.
The skipper, Emmel said have hairy bodies, pointed wings and their heads are as wide as their body.
A sea of color
The garden is thriving with an abundance in bloom inviting the butterflies in for a taste.
Such a ray of sunshine every time I peak out the window, especially since there is such a abundance of blooms.
I am so excited about the firebush, as it is a cutting from my mom’s garden. It has doubled in size and just bloomed for the first time. In her garden the zebra longwings flock to this bush. I cannot wait to see what happens.