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Giant Swallowtails in Florida have multiple generations of broods February to November in northern areas and year-round in southern parts of Florida. The Giant Swallowtails preferred host plant, citrus, is rapidly dying across Florida. All Florida counties now report citrus infected with Huanglongbing or "Citrus Greening." As citrus was a Florida import it is yet to be seen if the Swallowtails will find a native host as the citrus groves they prefer continue to die en masse, leaving them with little choice but to lay their eggs on other species.
When eating (nectaring) adults continuously flutter their wings much like a hummingbird. This behavior coupled with a long proboscis enables them to visit a wide range of flowers including many that otherwise might not easily support their weight like the periwinkles above and below. Even using a very rapid speed on the camera most of the images were slightly blurry (like below) due to the fluttering of the butterfly.
When there are many butterflies in the garden I find myself humming the refrain of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" . . .
You're a butterfly and butterflies are free to fly
Fly away, high away, bye bye
Perhaps the hardest butterfly to photograph is the Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) due to its light color, frenetic flight, and the relentless sunshine. Here I've caught one resting on an Emperor's Candlestick (Senna alata).
Below: The Firespikes are in full bloom. These non-native (but naturalized) perennials are imports from the tropical Pacific. Firespikes in East Central Florida are one of two species, Odontonema tubiforme or Odontonema cuspidatum. The more elaborate blooms, as pictured here, are characteristic of Odontonema tubiforme. Their close cousin usually has a single stalk of tube-like red blooms versus the cluster effect seen here.
This very colorful Striped Hairstreak (Satyrium liparops) is tiny, no bigger than the end of my finger. Seen here using a 200 mm telephoto lens she appears much larger. Presumably the bright hindwing coloring and tails (that continuously flutter) are to confuse predators.
Below: Another Hairstreak, this time on Spanish Needles. Notice the long, tentacle-like tails.
This small, inconspicuous butterfly is often found on the edge of forests. As we live virtually inside the forest we find them on any number of plants though they seem to prefer sweet clover (above). The females will lay their eggs on twigs that overwinter. They hatch in the spring and the tiny caterpillars feed on plant buds and young leaves.
REDNECK'S LATE SUMMER
ADVENTURES
Most afternoons I find Redneck lounging atop a mat of floating plants in the Big Pond. His shell has not yet started peeling this summer (new growth). I expect that to start any day now, as the days are already getting shorter.
When he's not lounging in the pond atop plants, he's basking just outside the pond with plants atop his shell. When he crawls out of the pond the plants travel with him. There's been an explosion of growth of the water lettuce in recent weeks and that is what he most generally hauls out (by accident).
I've decided that Redneck and the other slider turtles have terrible eyesight. Once they see me they make for a clearing in the plants to beg for food. Still, unless I hit them in the head with the food they don't see it floating around them.
I believe they smell the food, then dive underwater to find it (as pictured above). Then they start their afternoon feast. The food goes quickly, and none of it goes to waste. Whatever remains when the turtles have finished eating is quickly carried off by crawfish, birds, frogs, etcetera.
All around the ponds the skinks (Plestiodon fasciatus) scurry about doing whatever skinks do. This is the first year we've had skinks in any abundance. I have no idea from where they came but I hope that their arrival portends a very rainy period that has yet to materialize.
