Portrait of an Atala Butterfly
by terranovabay
A newly emerged Atala butterfly rests on a Coontie plant before heading out into the world.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Chrysalis, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, larval host plant
Tag: Coontie
Red Alert 2
by terranovabay
Like its caterpillar form, the adult Atala is also potentially toxic and warns would be predators of this fact by it bright orange abdomen and red wing markings.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Chrysalis, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, larval host plant
Blue Highlights
by terranovabay
A newly emerged Atala butterfly by the husk of its chrysalis. The Atala is waiting for its once compacted wings to firm up to support flight.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Chrysalis, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, larval host plant
Emergence
by terranovabay
An Atala butterfly begins to emerge from its chrysalis attached to a leaf of the Coontie plant. The Coontie plant is all things to the Atala. A place to lay its eggs, a grocery store for the caterpillars to consume its leaves, a quiet place to form a chrysalis to carry out metamorphosis. Then a place to return to later in life to lay eggs to start the process all over again.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Chrysalis, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, larval host plant
Red Alert!
by terranovabay
The Atala caterpillar warns potential predators of its toxicity by its garish red and yellow coloration. The Coontie plant, the Atala’s larval host plant, is toxic but the Atala thrives on its leaves and uses its deadly attributes to its own advantage for survival.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, larval host plant
Hungry Horde
by terranovabay
Newly hatched Atala caterpillars start their ravenous journey to eat their way through the Coontie plants leading to their metamorphosis to butterflies.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, caterpillar, Coontie
Ovipositing
by terranovabay
An Atala butterfly lays eggs on a Coontie plant leaf.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, Coontie, Eumaeus atala
Born Anew 2
by terranovabay
Another Atala butterfly emerges from its chrysalis amongst the Coontie plants making up part of the landscaping at Audubon House at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area
Born Anew
by terranovabay
Newly emerged from the chrysalis hanging next to it, a fat red-and-yellow caterpillar has undergone metamorphosis to turn into this Atala butterfly colorful in its own right. The bright red on the wings and the orange abdomen are warnings to would-be predators that they may find the Atala a bit unpalatable due to the toxins it has incorporated into its body from its larval host plant, the prehistoric Coontie.
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala butterfly, caterpillar, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area
Blood Red Atala
by terranovabay
A blood red Atala butterfly caterpillar consumes the Coontie host plant that it needs to eat to survive at this young age. The caterpillar takes up the Coontie’s natural toxins and the brilliant red and yellow coloration is a warning that eating the youngster could be dangerous to would-be predators. The adult Atala butterfly’s coloration is also a warning that it might be toxic to predators. As seen in the Audubon House landscaping at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area. UPDATE: […]
Categories: Nature • Tags: Atala, butterfly, Coontie, Eumaeus atala, ORCA, Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area
