Day 6 I have stripes!

Cinnabars

The larger caterpillar is now 4 days old, and has changed colour again. Theres still no sign of the stripes that it will eventually get. I have ended up with a lot of Cinnabar caterpillars, as eggs have been hatching over the last few days. This photo is viewed through the microscope @ 20x magnification.

Cinnabars

Happily munching away together on a groundsel leaf.

Cinnabars

Its a bit hard to see as I haven't got it focused enough, but some caterpillars have started chewing through their egg case in this photo. 20x magnification.

Cinnabar caterpillars changed colour

I have noticed the they change from yellow to a darker green once they have had a feed of groundsel.

Cinnabars hatching

Cinnabars hatching

Swan plants that supported 5 caterpillars

Swan plants supporting 5 Monarchs

I bought three pots of swan plants, and after the tiny monarch butterfly eggs that I had in a container hatched, I carefully transferred them onto these plants using a small paintbrush.  These plants have supported 5 caterpillars until they were fully grown.

Cinnabar moth eggs

A closer look at the cinnabar eggs. I wonder why some have developed while others haven't? They were all laid (oviposited) at the same time.  Through the microscope, I could see movement with some of the black ones.

Looking through the microscope

I'm pleased to see today that there are some fertile Cinnabar Moth eggs. Now I have these I have released the moths that were in the enclosure, so they can live happily (I hope) in the garden!

Female Cinnabar on groundsel

Cinnabar moths have a strange habit of playing dead if you touch them, then before long they take off again! This female has been laying eggs on groundsel.

Freshly laid Cinnabar eggs

Cinnabars in their enclosure

I have a small enclosure to keep the moths in while I wait for matings and eggs that should be fertile.
I put nectar bearing flowers in as well as groundsel. I also mist the enclosure a couple of times a day with water.

Fertile Red Admiral egg

Its always a thrill to see when eggs have developed, especially when they are of the Red Admiral Butterfly! I could see it moving inside the egg.

Emperor gum moth just eclosed

Cinnabar moth

, a photo by Anna Barnett on Flickr.

Here's a side view of this lovely moth.When they die, the colour fades really quickly.

Container of Cinnabar Moth pupae

Container of Cinnabar Moth pupae, a photo by Anna Barnett on Flickr.

These pupae look a lot like rat droppings!
Until recently I had a lot more tissue paper in the container, but I removed it and added the twigs so newly emerged moths can climb on them so they can develop their wings.

Cinnabar Moth

Cinnabar Moth, a photo by Anna Barnett on Flickr.

This moth is really beautiful. The caterpillars eat groundsel as well as ragwort.

Cinnabar moth

I raised Cinnabar caterpillars last summer, and have looked after some pupae over winter. They have just begun emerging as gorgeous moths. I hope some will pair up, so I get more to raise.

Monarch

   A monarch butterfly visited the swan plants today. I have already got a few tiny monarch caterpillars this season which is pretty early.

Red admiral butterfly

She was so fast, that it was hard to get a good photo...but she laid lots of eggs...now I have to wait to see if they are fertile....fingers crossed. (Some from last year weren't)

Red Admiral today

It was a bit difficult to get a good photo of this female Red Admiral, as she wasn't still for long. See the damage to the lower part of her wings? She laid quite a few eggs on the Urtica dioica (stinging nettle)

Home

Heres an view of our place. You can see the butterfly gazebo on the lawn, and the bed of nettles is in front of the building on the left.

Nettle with tiny Admirals

I have gathered up some of the nettle branches and put them in jars of luke warm water, before placing them in a "Butterfly enclosure" that I purchased from the Monarch butterfly trust. To stop the nettle wilting, I find I have to mist the leaves with water every now and then, as well as changing the water daily. Some I raise like this and others I raise in plastic containers.

Buddleia

Last autumn I cut the buddleia down to about 40cm, so this is the new regrowth.

Buddleia

Another view of buddleia regrowth now its spring.

Disbudding buddleia

To ensure I get a lot of flowers, and so the plant grows stronger, I disbud the growing tips, and before long new buds develop at the side shoots.

Sample eggs

I collected a few eggs on leaves from todays Red Admiral butterfly, and will keep an eye on them to see if they were fertile. It usually takes 8 days. I'm not sure whether you can see any eggs in this photo but there are several.

Tiny Admiral caterpillars

In the very centre of the nettle you may be able to see a tiny Admiral caterpillar. They make a small tent to hide in after feeding. Many parasites attack them even at this small stage, so I collect up some, and raise them indoors for safety.

My European nettle patch

My bed of stinging nettle is flourishing now its spring. A few weeks ago it was still quite small but now is over a metre high. The total patch is about 2 metres by 4 meters.

Its a European nettle "Urtica dioica". It spreads quite readily, so I try and restrict it to just this patch, by getting rid of the runners, and removing any seed heads.

New season for Admiral butterflies

Today I noticed another Red Admiral butterfly in the garden. Often they arrive after there has been a bit of wind, so I think they may be attracted by the slight scent from the nettle. This butterfly, like most that arrive here has damaged wings where they have been nipped by birds. We have a lot of birds around here, and I have noticed them chasing butterflies....Welcome Swallows, Tui, Bellbirds, and Silvereyes seem to be the main culprits.  I know this butterfly isn't one that I have bred and released last autumn, as her wings are a lot lighter on the outside. I had some like that arrive this time of the year last season.