Geometer Moth

Insectra comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Yes! Campaea perlata, the pale beauty! :)

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Thanx, Insectra:)

Geometer Moth

sweetcharlotte comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Such a beauty. I've seen a few like that and in pink and yellow come to my porch in NC.

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Familiar?

Hoya carnosa, a guaranteed moth magnet for Lep watchers

Cast1es comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Lovely flower . I guess it's the nectar that attracts the moths .

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Oozes nectar at night. Very fragrant too

Geometer Moth

sweetcharlotte comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Such a beauty. I've seen a few like that and in pink and yellow come to my porch in NC.

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Those are Chickweed Geometers. I got quite a few this year too.

Red spotted purple feeding on Rugosa rose hips.

Leafhead comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Beautiful! My favorite butterfly here, and so abundant this season!!! I have had >3 individuals at my feeder all season long, since I installed it. I can hardly wait to look for hibernacula on my WBC :)

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@Insectra Westborough Baptist Church LOL Wild Black Cherry

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

@Insectra So now it is a good four inches, and I put a sprig of oak in there for it to spin in. So far, it is still munching away. I thoroughly checked and washed for "nano-demons" before introducing oak to cleaned cage.

Caterpillar on Blackberry

CelticFire comments on Aug 23, 2018:

Wow! Looks like a snack on a stick!

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Depending on the bird, it is

Cecropia on Blackberry

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 21, 2018:

It's pretty and big, whatever it is.

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

And getting BIGGER

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) nest on Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaretacea)

Carin comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Can we have a hint? I can't find it...

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Here's a shot of the actual caterpillar

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) nest on Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaretacea)

Carin comments on Aug 26, 2018:

Can we have a hint? I can't find it...

Leafhead replies on Aug 26, 2018:

Dead center, where the bud looks kind of distorted. That's the top leaves tied together with silk

Who's hiding under that leaf? A bush cricket!

Leafhead comments on Aug 25, 2018:

One of my favorite late Summer night insects

Leafhead replies on Aug 25, 2018:

@gigihein Bush cricket

On a somber note.

zorialoki comments on Aug 25, 2018:

It is sad what that man perpetuates. I heard they were chanting for McCain to die last night at one of trumps rallies.

Leafhead replies on Aug 25, 2018:

What goes around comes around

It looks like a nasty and expensive way to get some rejuvenating slime on your face.

Leafhead comments on Aug 25, 2018:

I wonder if she's aware of how many parasites snails carry

Leafhead replies on Aug 25, 2018:

@Alvinsmama I've seen those at exotic pet shows. Those would be fucking SCARY if they ever got out

Go on...this is interactive...have a go...

Leafhead comments on Aug 25, 2018:

Wednesday Thursday Friday. After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF

Leafhead replies on Aug 25, 2018:

What then, fucker?

Seen on bumper sticker recently Real Men Love Jesus

zorialoki comments on Aug 24, 2018:

I guess I will never be a real man

Leafhead replies on Aug 25, 2018:

No worries, Pinocchio ;)

People are getting violently ill and even dying from Big Pharma's "legal" substitute.

Mooolah comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Everyone should have a cannabis plant growing on their property. Try & incarcerate all of us.

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

@Snickers77 Cannabis plant, right next to their Milkwèed

Now I know where @SukieSue gets her toes from ?

GuyKeith comments on Aug 23, 2018:

There is nothing normal about veganism. It is a mental illness.

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

Humans are omnivores, like most other Primates. Only Gorillas and Orangutans are vegan. Chimps, our closest relative, hunts Red Colubus monkeys and other Primates on a regular basis, in addition to eating termites, fruit, leaves and nuts. Human brain food is mainly seafood and fish. Cooking is another brain booster

Now I know where @SukieSue gets her toes from ?

Marionville comments on Aug 23, 2018:

There is nothing normal about being a vegan.

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

That makes three of us. Eating meat saved our ancestors from extinction and fed our growing brains. This is a concept most vegans don't grasp.

Seen on bumper sticker recently Real Men Love Jesus

AwarenessNow comments on Aug 23, 2018:

This bumper sticker attempts to invalidate one's identity as a member of the male of the species if you don't feel you have a "personal relationship" with a historical or fictitious character. It's just another form of aggression that christians use to defend their delusionary belief system. It's an...

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

It is by far THE stupidest bumper sticker ever

Seen on bumper sticker recently Real Men Love Jesus

kenriley comments on Aug 23, 2018:

I like dogs that eat butterflies

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

I like Southern Dog Faced Butterflies. And dogs

Seen on bumper sticker recently Real Men Love Jesus

PontifexMarximus comments on Aug 23, 2018:

Cool ... I never wanted to be a real man!!! I love women.

Leafhead replies on Aug 23, 2018:

I love butterflies, weed and ass!

Moth and Harvestman

Insectra comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I have been corrected by the baddest moth-er I know. That's a sharp-angled carpet (Euphya intermediata), not a variable carpet.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

Thanx:)

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Insectra I switched to cherry because it wasn't really eating the raspberry I was offering. That makes me think it was on blackberry. It took right to the wild cherry :)

Moth and Harvestman

Jnei comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I thought our harvestmen were bad enough - yours are even worse!

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Jnei Now *thats* weird LOL

I was born and raised in West Virginia.

Leafhead comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I was raised in Fla. So. Fla was the place to be 30 yrs ago, but now it's cra-cra. I left it behind for the relative sanity of the MW, in exchange for insane winter conditions. It's a tradeoff of warm climate for liberal thinking people

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@I_dont_know Let's just say it's best not to debate one

I found this in my garden this past weekend.

jacpod comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Not cool if they find out how to do it on us

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

I'd love to find a strain for Japanese Beetles

Moth and Harvestman

Jnei comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I thought our harvestmen were bad enough - yours are even worse!

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Jnei As a borderline arachnophobe, I can relate. While harmless Harvest men elicit no fear in me whatsoever, a good sized Wolf Spider or walking into an Argiope web will have me shrieking like a 9 year old girl!! LOL

Moth and Harvestman

OldGoat43 comments on Aug 22, 2018:

When I raised goats on my farm there were two groups of moths that would love to hang around on the goat droppings. The moths were small, about one inch long. Here's a pair of photos.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

Both are butterflies. The first one is a Pearly Crescent and the second one is a species of Sulfur. Both were male, gathering salts etc from the droppings for pheromone production.

Moth and Harvestman

Jnei comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I thought our harvestmen were bad enough - yours are even worse!

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Jnei I resemble that remark :P A whole new world lays at our feet and most people aren't even aware of 99% of it Insects and other Arthropods are as close as most of us will get to alien life, unless we count the deep sea life too. Some weirdo alien shit down there too Embrace the weirdness this planet has to offer!!

Moth and Harvestman

Jnei comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I thought our harvestmen were bad enough - yours are even worse!

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

I think they're rather cute <3

Seems appropriate.

Leafhead comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Creation scientists from the four corners of the globe all agree that the world is SQUARE. anonymous

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@CharlieBrown I think they finally figured out that cats would push everything off a flat Earth :P

I was born and raised in West Virginia.

Leafhead comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I was raised in Fla. So. Fla was the place to be 30 yrs ago, but now it's cra-cra. I left it behind for the relative sanity of the MW, in exchange for insane winter conditions. It's a tradeoff of warm climate for liberal thinking people

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@I_dont_know Your family sounds delightful indeed..... NOT. Back in Fla I had that same treatment from my Church of God sister and her family around the holidays. I and my partner were always relegated to the kiddie table at meals. I once got into a debate with my BIL which ended with me staying at a hotel. I never got over being called a dirty blasphemer. I had simply described my view. Death after life/Man Created God, which was the polar opposite view from his. He also stated that I was just "bitter" because God didn't accept fags. Big reason I'm up here with my more progressive leaning bro and his family Note: not to seem all sodden frau, but he's falling apart physically, and I've never felt better. Where's his god now?

For those of us who live in the thick of it.

Hathacat comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Mormon and Jehovah Witness?

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@GuyKeith Sorry, Guy, but I can have little to know respect for any religion which curses other races because they have different skin color. And LDS is about as STUPID religion as you can imagine! Pulled out of a hat. More like Joseph Smith's ass

I was born and raised in West Virginia.

freeofgod comments on Aug 22, 2018:

Maybe there is hope for the very young but I think the rest of us should just bail.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

No. I think atheists, progressives and agnostics should do like the Gays did with San Francisco. Invade it and drive the bastards north where THEY can fucking freeze to death!

I was born and raised in West Virginia.

EarthKate comments on Aug 22, 2018:

All the time. Arkansas is not very friend toward any of the things I support, and I would love to move to a more progressive area. Any recommendations?

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

Madison, WI if you can deal with cold ass winters

I was born and raised in West Virginia.

Leafhead comments on Aug 22, 2018:

I was raised in Fla. So. Fla was the place to be 30 yrs ago, but now it's cra-cra. I left it behind for the relative sanity of the MW, in exchange for insane winter conditions. It's a tradeoff of warm climate for liberal thinking people

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@I_dont_know I admire both your courage and your restraint. I would have punched the guy in the face. Luckily, all I have to worry about is some (friendly) prodding to go to Church more often by family. They know that I am atheist, but dont want me to lose touch with people in the congregation. They're a great group of gardeners, and every year I add butterflies to their gardens thru church giveaways. For this cause I'm willing to sit thru almost any message, artificial as it may be. Thankfully, it is an all inclusive Lutheran Church where all are welcome. Jews. Muslims. Gays. Even an atheist like me. As cherry picking, salad bar type churches go, this one ain't half bad

I’m a birder who likes to take pictures of nature.

Sheannutt comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Wow those are beautiful I love nature photos.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Shake Right on the head. Nature IS my "religion" and Earth my temple. I identify as Gaian, which simply means that our home is alive. Earth renews itself after disasters and pollution. She created life, and she can easily snuff it out.

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

@Insectra Still munching away on raspberry, blackberry vine. The source I found listed Rosaceae as host fore Cecropias (WBC, apple, raspberry, blackberry, etc.) Polyphagy wins the day. Any special substrate for cocooning I should know about?

Caterpillar on Blackberry

ScottRP comments on Aug 21, 2018:

From the headline I thought it might be a piece of heavy machinery that ran over a cell phone.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

LOL That's a riot:D

Caterpillar on Blackberry

OldGoat43 comments on Aug 21, 2018:

That looks like the very hungry sort.

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

Especially 5th instar caterpillars :) With all molting out of the way, Hell's the limit as to what these guys can eat in a day! Make that an hour

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Max_d_cat comments on Aug 21, 2018:

It looks enormous!

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

It's about 3 1/2 ", a good pinkie size on me. (I have big hands)

I made an i-pod.

moonmaid comments on Aug 22, 2018:

That's really cute! I sometimes grow gourds and then have a hard time figuring out what to do with them

Leafhead replies on Aug 22, 2018:

Some of the smaller ones make excellent birdhouses, especially for birds like House Wrens

I’m a birder who likes to take pictures of nature.

Leafhead comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Awesome shots:) I am a butterflyer who enjoys nature pix as well, mainly insects and spiders

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

@Shake #1 Not spider but Arachnid known as a Harvestman #2 Argiope, Golden Garden Spider

Cecropia on Blackberry

Edgeward comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Fascinating!! Range???

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

Its range is all of North America, east of the Rockies

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

@Insectra Or 200

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

@Insectra I have an aquarium setup now and plan on overwintering in my unheated garage. Plan B is in a tent on my second story porch

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

@Insectra What do you recommend as for overwintering?

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Shake comments on Aug 21, 2018:

Nice pic. Know what kind?

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

Cecropia Moth

Caterpillar on Blackberry

Insectra comments on Aug 21, 2018:

NICE!! That's a future cecropia moth.❤❤❤

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

Cecropia moth, you say? This one found on Raspberry, BlackBerry vine

Motorist "Was I driving too fast, officer?" Cop: "Hell no, you were FLYING TOO LOW!!"

silverotter11 comments on Aug 21, 2018:

It was when the cop asked if he was drinking and the motorist asked 'You buying?' the question of bail arose.

Leafhead replies on Aug 21, 2018:

Lmao!

August is underwing season! This is the Ilia underwing, Catocala ilia.

Leafhead comments on Aug 19, 2018:

What can be planted and or supplemented to attract Underwings?

Leafhead replies on Aug 19, 2018:

@Insectra Thanx, got all of the above:)

"Life is a banquet, and most poor bastards are starving" Rosalyn Russell in "Auntie Mame"

IamNobody comments on Aug 19, 2018:

And some lucky ones may get really fat ?

Leafhead replies on Aug 19, 2018:

Sooooooooo true

Another big ass Argiope I discovered today

OpposingOpposum comments on Aug 19, 2018:

"I like bug butts and I cannot lie.."

Leafhead replies on Aug 19, 2018:

LMAO!

Eastern Comma New Cicada

Islandgurl comments on Aug 18, 2018:

I used to catch butterflies as a kid and I can still remember my first Comma. I miss hearing cicadas too.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

Right now the night is full of the sound of Tree Crickets. Love these warm Summer nights

Damn tick biting my finger from the woods and y’all grass I was working in today.

Leafhead comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Totally disgusting :P You might want to get that little bastard looked at and identified.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@NothinnXpreVails You probably will be, but I'd still look for a rash on the hand just in case

Scenes from around UW Arboretum

Mooolah comments on Aug 18, 2018:

Plant natives & they will come

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

You know the drill ;)

Damn tick biting my finger from the woods and y’all grass I was working in today.

Alvinsmama comments on Aug 14, 2018:

The one insect I hate with a passion. Next, would be mosquitoes.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

Arachnid.

Damn tick biting my finger from the woods and y’all grass I was working in today.

Leafhead comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Totally disgusting :P You might want to get that little bastard looked at and identified.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@NothinnXpreVails It can be *that bad* and worse if left unchecked and untreated. Early it has a 100% cure rate but as it settles in it gets harder. Think Syphilis

Farmville, how is this entertaining or fulfilling?

Akfishlady comments on Aug 17, 2018:

I have a friend who is super obsessed with playing this. I feel sorry for her. Esp since she has lovely place to grow things.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@freeofgod Same here. I dumped paycheck sized amounts of quarters into Pac Man and Donkey Kong:)

I truly love my iguana...... Hey Rita! Get away from my curtains......

Leafhead comments on Aug 18, 2018:

That is one gorgeous lizard, from one former exotic pet owner to another

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

@AmiSue Lovely:) Are those Water Monitors in the pic?

Farmville, how is this entertaining or fulfilling?

Akfishlady comments on Aug 17, 2018:

I have a friend who is super obsessed with playing this. I feel sorry for her. Esp since she has lovely place to grow things.

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

I played Farmville but gave up when no butterflies came :(

Farmville, how is this entertaining or fulfilling?

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 18, 2018:

I've never played this, but there was a time my kids really got into it. Growing your own is tons more rewarding!

Leafhead replies on Aug 18, 2018:

Amen to that!

Loves Lies Bleeding. The most unique flower I've grown this year.

TGTARITPNBBGMLT comments on Aug 16, 2018:

What is the name of it?

Leafhead replies on Aug 17, 2018:

Amaranthus

Loves Lies Bleeding. The most unique flower I've grown this year.

Cast1es comments on Aug 16, 2018:

Wonder what that would look like , if planted with Bleeding Hearts .

Leafhead replies on Aug 17, 2018:

A bunch of Bleeding Hearts LOL

Unknown moth

Insectra comments on Aug 16, 2018:

That was a new one for me this year, too! That's Schinia rivulosa. They're ragweed feeders. I have a lot of ragweed in my pasture but this is the first year I haven't had chickens. I think the chickens were thinning the caterpillar population, because since they left I've had a ton of these ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 16, 2018:

I knew you'd come thru for me. I'm looking at moths more too now:)

Insectra, what is this strange larva on my Eupatorium perfoliatum?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I can't see it very well in these pics. Got any with more contrast?

Leafhead replies on Aug 16, 2018:

@Insectra I think we have our culprit. That's him to a T

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on my favorite Phlox.

Hathacat comments on Aug 15, 2018:

I wonder if that is the phlox I used to have. Does it Glow in certain light? I don't think I have ever come across a Swallowtail before. Lovely.

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

It is very compact with smaller flowers that bloom longer than most Phlox.

Damn tick biting my finger from the woods and y’all grass I was working in today.

Leafhead comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Totally disgusting :P You might want to get that little bastard looked at and identified.

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@NothinnXpreVails Oh shit. I would show that pic to Insectra on Critter Corner for a proper identification. Or better yet take it to a lab

Damn tick biting my finger from the woods and y’all grass I was working in today.

Leafhead comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Totally disgusting :P You might want to get that little bastard looked at and identified.

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@NothinnXpreVails Do you live in an area with deer ticks?

Insectra, what is this strange larva on my Eupatorium perfoliatum?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I can't see it very well in these pics. Got any with more contrast?

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

@Insectra Here is a better shot. It's bigger now and is eating flowers. It moves like a Syrphid, but eats flowers like a Blue larva!! Might it be a Geometer?

My favorite Phlox doing more than its share.

SukiSue comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Love mine too! But the two killer cats next door have killed every living thing that's come through. My only hope is that they soon get old and let things be.I miss the beautiful Wildlife that would come through my yard, particularly the butterflies and hummingbirds. ☹️ Why can't people keep ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

Because most people are idiots.

My favorite Phlox doing more than its share.

HippieChick58 comments on Aug 15, 2018:

Beautiful!!

Leafhead replies on Aug 15, 2018:

Thanx:) I just HAVE to get more of this Phlox when it is available. I thought about dividing the one I got, but I don't want to f**k up a good thing. I need more in back, along with more Liatris lingulistylis

Insectra, what is this strange larva on my Eupatorium perfoliatum?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I can't see it very well in these pics. Got any with more contrast?

Leafhead replies on Aug 14, 2018:

@Insectra They seem to move like Syrphids, eat flowers and/or collect detritis

Insectra, what is this strange larva on my Eupatorium perfoliatum?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I can't see it very well in these pics. Got any with more contrast?

Leafhead replies on Aug 14, 2018:

I cropped away the flowers leaving as much larva as possible. It almost looks like a sea slug

My latest favorite subject matter to draw : jumping spiders ! (using sketch program on a tablet )...

dalefvictor comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Spiders are neat creatures. I like them, they eat misquitos.

Leafhead replies on Aug 14, 2018:

You'd love this one. She eats Japanese Beetles

Moth, Noctuid?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Ugh. One of the daggers. I'm so bad at telling them apart. Acronicta sp. anyway.

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@Insectra Cool. I'll let him live;) Gypsy moths get the kaibash

Moth, Noctuid?

Insectra comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Ugh. One of the daggers. I'm so bad at telling them apart. Acronicta sp. anyway.

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Bad guy?

Weapon of Mosquito Destruction

jacpod comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Blimey I dont mind so much now about only having cabbage white butterflys here, I dont want to be anywhere near that beast

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

@jacpod LOL

Weapon of Mosquito Destruction

jacpod comments on Aug 13, 2018:

Blimey I dont mind so much now about only having cabbage white butterflys here, I dont want to be anywhere near that beast

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Borderline arachnophobe here. I was both mystified and a little spooked snapping this critter, especially when she got annoyed and began shaking the web! Getting up close and personal with spiders is easier than getting close to butterflies, but it has its downside :P

Weapon of Mosquito Destruction

FrayedBear comments on Aug 13, 2018:

How big is that arachnid?

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

About in inch in length, plus legs

Monarch enjoying my favorite Phlox.

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 13, 2018:

I don't have any Phlox. Guess I need to grow some (if they are native here).

Leafhead replies on Aug 13, 2018:

Excellent source of nectar :)

Fresh and New

OldGoat43 comments on Aug 12, 2018:

Very sharp photo and the chrysalis looks almost metallic silver. Good shot.

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

Easy shot as I have been following the progress of this and other chrysales. At this stage, they can't do much about my shutter-bugging. I have a "captive audience", as it were

Leaving behind an old life...

Mooolah comments on Aug 12, 2018:

superb

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

Thank you:)

Food not lawns!

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Aug 11, 2018:

I grow nothing but ornamentals. Food for the soul! I inherited the lawn from the previous homeowner. I never water it, but we get plenty of rain here. It does, however, grow so fast as to beg to be mowed even more than weekly. That is, the suburban neighborhood standard expectation is to keep ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

@MikeInBatonRouge Actually, as far as condo assns go, this one ain't half bad. They give me carte blanch on groundskeeping, save a ton on maintainance, and even pay me a small stipend for my work. It's win-win And of course, I use NO pe sticides!

Leaving behind an old life...

Lukian comments on Aug 12, 2018:

looks like he's newly hatched (yep you said so) still pumping his wings. Pristine!

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

Getting ready for takeoff. He flew off moments after this picture was taken

Leaving behind an old life...

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 12, 2018:

That's a beautiful specimen!

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

Thanx, one of many

Brainbow...

CelticFire comments on Aug 11, 2018:

A rainbow on the planet Zelda....nice!

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

God's covenant with the Zeldans

Not sure if can be considered hand crafted, but I put a huge amount of work raising >140 Monarch ...

FlippantLlama comments on Aug 9, 2018:

Thank you for your work! I have a couple of friends that grow milkweed just for monarchs.

Leafhead replies on Aug 12, 2018:

Thank you and your friends for pitching in :)

Last year's tropical milkweed cuttings have grown well but some pruning was recently in order.

Leafhead comments on Aug 11, 2018:

Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) is a no-no in temperate areas. It is best to keep with native species to your region. The reasons are A. Tropical does not harden off in midsummer in preparation. It keeps growing continually til frost. Any Monarchs still in the region are liable to lay ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

@misternatureboy This year Monarchs and other butterflies have been almost numerous compared to last several seasons. The Milkweed I use most are Common (Asclepias syriaca) and Swamp (Asclepias incarnata) Milkweeds. These are native and are preferred over Tropical by the Monarch. I live in an ecoconscious county, and everyone grows Milkweed. The city of Madison includes Tropical Milkweed in its annual desplays, but this is wrong. Monarchs still prefer the hardier natives.

Hyles lineata, the White Lined Sphinx Moth, aka Hummingbird Moth.

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 11, 2018:

That is really beautiful. How large do they get?

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

@AstralSmoke Yup, and very similar flight as well. Hyles lineata is more diurnal than most other Sphingids.

Not sure if can be considered hand crafted, but I put a huge amount of work raising >140 Monarch ...

Pen-n-Ink comments on Aug 9, 2018:

Whether or not it "belongs" here, thanks for posting and kudos to you for butterfly ranching.

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

@btroje LOL

Insectra, can you I'D this leafhopper?

Insectra comments on Aug 11, 2018:

I'd call it the candy-striped leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea) but I don't know if there are any closely-related, similar-looking species that I can confuse it with.

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Thanx:)

First Bloom, Asclepias tuberosa

btroje comments on Aug 11, 2018:

I got some growing from seed. HOw long does it take for them to bloom?

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

It depends on how late in the season you planted them. I plant my seeds in April and get first bloom toward midsummer. They bloom more robustly in second year, and mature in three.

First Bloom, Asclepias tuberosa

Pleurocera comments on Aug 11, 2018:

Those are one of my favorites! I have an orange and yellow one, and they bloom twice a year. This type of Asclepius is not an easy one to start from seed unless you can find them in a retail seed pack. In that case, they have already been pre-stratified. Asclepias curassavica is another species ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Asclepias curassavaca is not recommended for northern climates. It does not harden off in preperation for dormancy, but grows continually til frost. This is bad for migrating Monarchs migrating South. Tropical Milkweed prefers hot weather and sux up here as a host and nectar plant. Tropical also a possible host for OE, the dreaded protozoa that causes gross deformity in adult Monarchs

Mystery Leafhopper

CrazyQuilter comments on Aug 11, 2018:

Gorgeous red banded leafhopper. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphocephala_coccinea

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Thanx:) They're everywhere this time of year. They seem to prefer Milkweed.

"Paper Tiger"

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 11, 2018:

Do they sting? I don't see a stinger. I got stung today while pruning some hollies. It was a wasp that got me though. Every year at least one sting. Guess it means I'm outside at least.

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

"Paper Tiger" refers to anyone who looks and or acts big and bad but in actuality is a big wuss. This "wanna-bee" is no more than a mimic, a fly posing as a bee. This is known as Batesian Minicry. This is a Syrphid, or Hover Fly. It is beneficial as a minor pollinator and because it's larvae feast on aphids

Food not lawns!

HippieChick58 comments on Aug 11, 2018:

IKR!! I have been expanding flower beds and veggie gardens. Grass is stupid.

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

@AstralSmoke (except landscape grasses)

Food not lawns!

MikeInBatonRouge comments on Aug 11, 2018:

I grow nothing but ornamentals. Food for the soul! I inherited the lawn from the previous homeowner. I never water it, but we get plenty of rain here. It does, however, grow so fast as to beg to be mowed even more than weekly. That is, the suburban neighborhood standard expectation is to keep ...

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

Agreed whole hog! Lawns are good for exactly dick, except raising and perpetuating Japanese Beetles, my all time nemesis. I wouldn't have a lawn if I didn't belong to a condo assn. Still, every year, that lawn gets smaller and smaller, while my prairie gets bigger and bigger. Frog in a skillet.

Boltonia asteroides, the False Aster

jacpod comments on Aug 11, 2018:

oh what an awful thing to call a beautiful flower ,it could be a true something or other!

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

At least they aren't calling it a true aster. That would be false

Hyles lineata, the White Lined Sphinx Moth, aka Hummingbird Moth.

AstralSmoke comments on Aug 11, 2018:

That is really beautiful. How large do they get?

Leafhead replies on Aug 11, 2018:

They can be from two and a half to three inches long as adults. Their larvae grow quite large, up to four and a half inches