Today, I saw quite a few Sleepy Oranges flitting about. A week ago, it was the Hackberry Emperors that were most numerous. Before that the Common Wood-nymphs were the abundant ones. Of course, you could slip in the some monarchs for a few days. However, they have not been as numerous as these other aforementioned species, at least at our house.
The Sleepy Oranges (Abaeis nicippe)are taking advantage of the gayfeather blooms!
This morning, I found this wing along the path as we walked Gracie.
Certainly was a beautiful wing!
A look under the dissecting scope!
The scales are like shingles on a roof. The white part in the photos was where the scales had fallen off. (40X)
Was it a butterfly in the grass below the gayfeather? Now look closer at the photo.
More wings scattered about! Have you spotted a Brunner’s Mantis (Brunneria borealis)? The wings do not provide any nutrition so most critters discard them. Besides mantises, butterflies are prey to many other animals. The adult’s job was hopefully completed if it had mated and laid its eggs. Most adult butterflies live only two to three weeks. The Sleepy Orange’s host plant are the Senna species. In FNCT, there are listed eight species. However in North Texas, we only have Two-leaf Senna (Senna roemeriana).
Soon another pair of wings will fall to the ground.
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
9 Comments
Love the yellow/orange butterflies. Have had some here too. Nice pics
Love the yellow/orange butterflies. Have had some here too. Nice pics
Thank you!
Poor butterfly was still alive while being eaten!
Doesn’t almost everyone except humans and vultures. At least that is all that comes to mind.
Poor butterfly!
Poor butterfly!
I agree with Kathy and Jeanne. Poor butterfly. I know lots of critters eat other things alive but i dont like to watch it. Life can be so cruel.
Hoping I get some orange cats on my two senna plants! One has lots of pods so hopefully I can have even more plants next year for them too!
Hope you do too! 🤞🏼