Azaleas have been planted all around the swamp, many of them bloom off and on through the summer, despite the heat. This reddish colored one was a perfect complement to a Swallowtail Butterfly.
The flowers must have been providing some nourishment as the Butterfly kept going around the bush.
He went deep into each blossom, his head disappearing behind the petals.
Then he gracefully backed out before moving on.
Butterflies do not know that Mimosa Trees are invasive and this Swallowtail happily partook of the pink fluffballs these trees are known for.
The flowers have a sweet smell that can be overpowering but this late afternoon a breeze was blowing it away from me.
The butterfly bounced along at the top of the tree then disappeared into another flower grouping in the shade.
At the end of the second week of October there were many Gulf Fritillary Butterflies still around.
Our temperatures have remained in the mid to high 80s during the day (27 plus C) which is above average for October. Only in the last few days have the nights gone down to 60 F (15 C).
Fortunately this favorite wildflower of the Fritillary is still blooming. Some lovely purple flowers just a few feet away had no attraction to this fellow.
Taken 10/09/2018, Charleston, SC.
There were an amazing variety of insects hopping and flying around the flowers in the Mepkin Abbey Labyrinth.
The sunflowers made a beautiful yellow glow behind the blooms where the insects opted to land. This Buckeye’s colors were a nice match.
There were grasshopper type insects of several varieties and sizes. This fellow was at least four inches (ten centimeters) from head to tail and could easily leap into the next aisle of the labyrinth in a flash.
Several smaller butterflies, perhaps this is some type of skipper, were around inspecting the flowers.
There were some larger butterflies, I believe this is a Monarch. I was quite surprised that with all these insects I didn’t see any birds within the labyrinth looking for their own lunches.
These large red flowers are so flashy I almost didn’t see the butterfly. I believe the flower is a Texas Star Hibiscus, which grow wild around the edges of my favorite swamp.
The butterfly was intensely inspecting the flowers, but he didn’t stay with any one blossom for more than a moment.
An unopened bloom got its share of attention as the butterfly probed up under the flower’s sepals.
That wasn’t very satisfying, either, and he quickly moved on.
Many of the Buttonbush trees that were so popular with the butterflies in this area last July have died, and those that didn’t have very few blossoms. The harsh weather we had in January may have too much for them.
I don’t know what this plant is but an assortment of butterflies and other insects were attracted to the puffy blooms.
The tufts from the flower heads made me think of thistle but the rest of the plant did not, with no sharp spines in sight.
This little yellow one was the smallest flying insect I saw. The bloom he picked had more of a purple tinge than the others, prettier or tastier perhaps.
The butterflies were all doing the same reaching into the tops of the flowers so they must have been getting something.
This patch was two to three feet deep (0.5 – 1Â meter) and ran along the edge of a pond. I could not see over the top from the mowed lawn where I was standing; I resisted getting closer due to the potential for alligators to be hidden in the greenery.
This butterfly was flitting along the trail, first ahead of me then behind me, not quite landing in a pose that I was hoping for.
I finally got his full open wings showing off the shimmery blue and then just a peek of the underside. There was a pretty stiff breeze blowing when he landed on this leaf and he was fighting to stay put.
These flowers look awful small to offer much to a butterfly but this one persisted, moving steadily from flower to flower. The lack of leaves on this plant gave me a clear view.
He rotated and showed me every side while he was doing it.
Even upside down!
He easily walked across the tops of the flowers.
And hung off the side.
I believe the plant is Brazilian Vervain (Verbena brasiliensis), a non-native plant that grows wild along roadsides, in disturbed areas, old fields. (NameThatPlant.net, A storehouse of information about native and naturalized plants of the Carolinas and Georgia.)
Not far from where I saw the Ant walking on Duckweed a Viceroy Butterfly was perched on a carpet of Duckweed mixed with an unknown brown water covering plant.
I walked up and down a boardwalk watching warblers and passed this butterfly in the same spot, for at least a half hour.
It was late afternoon and his shadow was getting longer. He flapped his wings slowly, and seemed to not have a care in the world.
The Chrysanthemums were a little past their prime but these butterflies and other insects didn’t care.
This garden has a path around the perimeter that winds up a hill to what was a farm. Passing by a foot or so below this garden bed made the butterfly action easier to see and photograph.
October 20, 2017, Arlington House Gardens, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
