Recent Garden Photos:

Caterpillar and Butterfly

Both appearred in our yard recently.

Parsley Caterpillar ( Black Swallowtail)

Young caterpillars are black with a white saddle, later becoming smooth and green with black bands and yellow spots, growing to approx 2 inches. It has an orange osmeterium. Bad tasting to predators as it absorbs toxins from the foodplant. It eats Queen Anne's lace, carrot, parsley and dill. It overwinters as a chrysalis. It is found in southern Canada and throughout the eastern United States, as well as the south-western states and Mexico.



Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) Butterfly

This butterfly has a very appropriate name. If you look closely on the underside of the hindwing (the butterfly often accommodates nicely by sitting with its wings closed) you will spot a comma shape with a dot at the bottom resembling a question mark (there is a smaller version called a "comma" butterfly). It frequents woodlands but can be found in city parks, suburbs, and roadsides. It overwinters as an adult in hollow logs and trees and under loose bark. You might spot a question mark soaring on a warm winter?s day before returning to its wintering site. Unlike most butterflies that sip nectar from flowers, this butterfly tends to sip sap, rotting fruit, and dung. Its host plants are varied and may include American elm, hackberry, and false nettle.

Question Mark Caterpillar

Highly variable, ranging from blackish to red and pinkish brown, abundantly dappled with minute whitish spotting. Dorsal scoli of second thoracic segment often darker than those that follow. Undulating subspiracular stripe variously developed, occasionally broken into oblique pale lines. Faint stripe above spiracle running through scoli which are darkened relative to those above or below. Abdominal spiracles black ringed with white. Food: especially elms, hackberries, but also hops and nettles. Caterpillar: May to November; up to 4 generations in South; 2 in North.

Pedaling & Pudding Protection.

One can't be too careful when one is making pudding whilst contemplating the next leg of the Tour de France. One could trip and fall and bang one's head against the stove....the pot could boil over... a blow-out...all sorts of things could happen. Safety first I always say. And there is always someone around with a camera when you are making pudding - odd!

Mantis

This landed on top of the door as I was leaving the house - Praying Mantis,
Mantis religiosa (European Mantis)
The name "mantis" comes from the Greek word for 'prophet' or 'soothsayer.'
The mantid bites the neck of its prey to paralyze it and begins to devour it. The mantis almost always starts eating the insect while it's still alive, and almost always starts eating from the insect's neck. This way, the mantis makes sure that the insect's struggle stops quickly. Praying mantises eat insects and other invertebrates such as other mantises, beetles, butterflies, spiders, crickets, grasshoppers, and even spiders. The praying mantises also eat vertebrates such as small tree frogs, lizards, mice and hummingbirds. Praying mantids can resemble flowers and can catch small, unknowing hummingbirds....hey, I like hummingbirds!
This one is the official state insect of Connecticut....go figure.

A posed pic!

More of "the car"...with the gang.

MERCI LINDA, LYNE and JEAN-PHILIPPE

Birthday Voyage

(Click on the image/thumbnail above for larger view)

I still can't believe it but I went to San Francisco for my 60th....thanks to L,L and JP.

My 1st photo (a bit vain peut-être) ....the Mustang and I somewhere along the west coast near Big Sur.