by terranovabay
With very distinctive stripes, a Monarch butterfly larva gorges on milkweed in the final days before forming a chrysalis to begin the metamorphosis into a butterfly. Seen in the butterfly garden at Audubon House at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area.
Categories: Nature • Tags: butterfly, caterpillar, Danaus plexippus, Florida, Indian River County, larva, Monarch
by terranovabay
A Gulf Fritillary makes the breakfast rounds in the first light of the day in the pollinator garden at Audubon House. In many of these images the wings are backlit by the Sun highlighting their scales, which give a grainy appearance to the wings. The topside appearance of Agraulis vanillae is less complex than the striking underside.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Agraulis vanillae, Audubon House, butterfly, Florida, Gulf Fritillary, Indian River County, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, pollinator garden
by terranovabay
At first it seemed like something entirely different. A much larger, stranger insect than the little beauty that it is. Probably due to the presence of false antennae at the rear of its wings coupled with the constant side-by-side, up-and-down motion of its wings which made the back look like the front of some larger, very active, fearsome bug when, in reality, it was just a little butterfly that has developed a scary masquerade to ward off predators. This is […]
Categories: Nature • Tags: Audubon House, butterfly, Florida, Indian River County, pollinator garden, Satyrium favonius, Southern Oak Hairstreak
by terranovabay
Portraits of White Peacock butterflies in the landscaping around Audubon House at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area. The garish Gaillardia flowers draw the White Peacock’s attention the most as a place to stop and feed on nectar. Note the coiled proboscis. Surprise! This bee flew by just as I was taking the photo. Nice catch that I did not even notice till I got home and looked at the photos. Anartia jatrophae sucks up the nectar.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Anartia jatrophae, Audubon House, butterfly, Florida, Indian River County, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, White Peacock
by terranovabay
A collection of Cloudless Sulphur sightings in the Audubon House pollinator garden at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area. The entire life cycle of this butterfly is taking place in and around the garden with different individuals in different life stages to be found. For starters, here are examples of the adult Cloudless Sulphur attracted to the nectar of their favorite plants in the garden. The erratic flight of Phoebis sennae is thought to be a protection from predators, especially birds.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Audubon House, butterfly, Cloudless Sulphur, Florida, Indian River County, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, Phoebis sennae, pollinator garden
by terranovabay
A few photos of a Zebra Longwing butterfly in the Audubon House pollinator garden at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area in Indian River County, Florida. Aside from the butterfly’s flighty nature, these images were also hampered by a brisk wind blowing the butterfly in and out of frame when it alighted on a plant. In the image below note the large clumps of yellow pollen sticking to the butterfly’s proboscis as it probes a flower for nectar and pollen. According […]
Categories: Nature • Tags: butterfly, Florida, Heliconius charithonia, Indian River County, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, pollinator garden, Zebra Longwing
by terranovabay
Mangrove Buckeye butterflies were enjoying the unseasonably warm weather while collecting nectar from the flowers alongside the trail at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area (ORCA).
Categories: Nature • Tags: buckeye, butterfly, Florida, Indian River County, Mangrove, Mangrove Buckeye, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area
by terranovabay
A White Peacock butterfly (Anartia jatrophae) lounged lazily in the native plant garden at (Pelican Island) Audubon House on Saturday. A few other insect pollinators were hanging around but the overcast day had everybody in a dreary mood so there was not much going on.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Anartia jatrophae, Audubon House, butterfly, Florida, Indian River County, Pelican Island Audubon Society, Vero Beach, White Peacock
by terranovabay
A variety of insects were enjoying the sunny morning in the Teaching Garden of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) research center in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Hawaiian Stripe Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris vittata) Dragonfly basking in the Sun. Bees everywhere attracted to the myriad flowers. White Peacock butterfly (Anartia jatrophae) A knife-edge view of the White Peacock butterfly. A hasty shot resulting in a rather blurry White Peacock depositing a little orange egg on a leaf.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Anartia jatrophae, Bambusa vulgaris vittata, bees, butterfly, Dragonfly, Florida, Ft. Pierce, Hawaiian Stripe Bamboo, IFAS, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, St. Lucie County, Teaching Garden, UF, University of Florida, White Peacock
