Who's the Star? Garberia

I don't know who the star of this photo is. I like the Polka-Dot Wasp Moth (Syntomeida epilais). These guys are in the family of footman moths and tiger moths (Arctiidae). I like the Bumble Bee (Bombus spp.) too. I really like the Garberia or (Garberia heterophylla (Bartram) Merrill and Harper Syn. Garberia fruticosa). Without the Garberia there would be no insects in the photo so I guess the Garberia is the star.

Garberia is an old-growth native plant that is rarely seen in 21st-century Florida. It grows only on undisturbed sand hills (prime building locations for humans). I found this specimen in the most unlikely of places -- near a busy intersection in Deltona on land that has apparently never been cleared. It is in an area that we derisively refer to as "The Hood," so I didn't stay around long to take many photos due to the inherent danger for a very white guy standing in the hood with a very expensive camera and no gun.

Despite 40 days with no rain and a strong, hot wind, the Garberia looks great.

Grasshoppers, Bumble Bees, and Sunflowers

The sunflowers reached their peak today. The largest and tallest didn't last long. It was taken down by a big vulture. I was able to get this shot (above) before the vulture had his way with the 8-foot flower.

BELOW: I spent some time watching this flower and the insects she was attracting. Look at the bottom right of image for the grasshopper.

I think this grasshopper is Paroxya clavuliger (Serville). The long black stripe extending from his eye and his long antennae distinguish him from other similar species. Where he was once noticed -- not much in Florida anymore -- he was referred to as the Olivegreen Swamp Grasshopper.

He had quite an appetite. I watched him eat on this sunflower leaf for an hour off-and-on this afternoon. He finished off a leaf that was 4x his size in that time.

The bee is likely Bumble Bee (Bombus spp.). Bumble bees are large, social bees which produce annual colonies.

White Peacock

Today I stopped near one of the St. Johns River Bridges to look at some roadside flowers. . . and I stumbled across a flock of White Peacock Butterflies (above). This was a new species for me. Scientifically she is Anartia jatrophae L., 1763. I took several hundred photos trying to capture several together. I ended up with a lot of white blurs and many bug bites. . . but not that great shot I wanted. The solitary shots I got (like the one above) are better than those in the guide books, however.

Anartia jatrophae is one of the True Brushfoot Butterflies (Nymphalinae).



In the same area where I found the White Peacock I found many native sunflower. Above: The Narrow-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius L.)



Above: Bachelor's Button (Polygala rugelii Shuttleworth) covered the ground in the area of the sunflowers.



Above and Below: Florida's own sunflower --Helianthus floridanus Gray -- were abundant. These are distinguished from the similar Narrow-leaved Sunflower by the yellowish disk florets and rough stems that are about 3-feet tall.

November Sunflowers

The sunflowers in the west garden are coming into bloom this first week of November. This is quite a feat . . . to have large sunflowers in November. I think I like them best when they are about to open (above). . .they look like a special package or sweet. . .perfectly wrapped.



Above: Me, in part of the garden, surrounded by sunflowers. Some will be 7 footers when they bloom this week and next, as indicated by my hand (I'm about 6 feet tall).

The palms are 3-year old Queen palms (Syagrus romanzoffiana) -- grown from seed -- that somehow survived last winter and are now thriving and about 18 feet tall today.



These are more of my favorite shots today.



I like the imperfection of these above and below. . . as they're opening. . .sticking a few 'fingers' out at a time.







For a look at the Halloween photos click here: Halloween Photos and for more of the nature photos click here: Nature Photos

Zebra Heliconian

The Zebra Heliconian Butterflies have returned though in very small numbers. Heliconius charithonia (Linnaeus, 1767) is a long winged, brush-footed butterfly. They prefer moist forests. We've had zero rain for 30+days so that likely explains their low numbers.

This morning there is a foggy mist or light rain and the zebras are drying their wings wherever they can. Making for easier targets with the camera.

BELOW: A Zebra Heliconian drying its wings on Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsl.) A. Gray (Sunflower Tree).



Research has revealed that the males of this species await the birth (emergence) of the female from the chrysalis (cocoon) and immediately mate with the female as she is about to emerge. The male then deposits a chemical on the female's abdomen that repels all other male zebras.

Their favorite food is Lantana (Lantana camara L.) and Spanish Needle (Bidens alba (L.) DC) shepherd's needle which are both in short supply due to the long dry. They follow a set route, daily. . .along a trap-line of sorts. . . staying in a small geographic area for their entire flight.

BELOW: A Zebra Heliconian on Lantana.

Monarch Butterfly

New research suggests that the circadian clock that helps migrating monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) navigate based on the changing position of the sun is in their antennae -- not their brains -- as was previously thought.



Researchers surgically removed the antennae from some of the monarchs, then tethered and flew the butterflies outside in a flight simulator. The butterflies lost their normal southwestern orientation, even though the clock molecules in their brains were keeping normal time. The exact nature of the connection between the clocks in the antennae and brain is still unclear.

Lemon Bluff

ABOVE: The blogger on a little spit of land in the St. Johns River near Lemon Bluff. It was hot this evening. 90 F at 5:00 pm when this photograph was made. I was in search of the elusive Blazing Star (Liatris pauciflora) which should be in bloom. Blazing Star is a very specialized plant with a small range. Their habitat is largely paved over in Central Florida.



ABOVE and BELOW: I'm not one to use poetic collective nouns in everyday speech -- but its fun to remark here -- that this was a murder of crows. . . thousands of crows moving across the tree tops in the islands of the St. Johns River.



See more images of this trip at: http://majikphil2.blogspot.com and http://majikphil3.blogpsot.com

Including. . . the Blazing Star.