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: larval host plant
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
Florida Wildflower Symposium 2014 – Part Two
by terranovabay
Here are more photos from the Florida Wildflower Foundation’s 2014 symposium at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida, on 19 & 20 September. Two Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) butterflies show great interest in a Passionflower Vine, the Fritillary’s larval host plant. This particular Passionflower Vine is the Maypop (Passiflora incarnata) and you can learn more about it at Janice Broda’s ORCA blog. Various photos of Bok Tower from different angles. The tower is adorned with large ceramic tile murals, […]
Categories: Nature • Tags: Adam and Eve, Bok Tower, Bok Tower Gardens, Cape Blue waterlily, Florida, Florida Wildflower Foundation, Florida Wildflower Symposium, Gulf Fritillary, Lake Wales, larval host plant, Maypop, passionflower vine, Pinewood Estate, Victoria 'Longwood Hybrid', Victoria amazonica, Victoria waterlily, waterlily
