Aromatic Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium) are visited by bees, butterflies and skippers, seeking nectar and in the case of the bees, pollen. The caterpillars of moths and of Silvery Checkerspot Butterflies eat the foliage. This Crab Spider is hanging around hoping to catch some dinner, just waiting for the perfect insect to come along.
I’ve got some Aromatic Aster blooming like crazy right now. A stunning show is put on by this perennial plant.
Aromatic Asters are native to northeastern and central United States. I’m looking forward to dividing my plant in the early spring of next year. The more the merrier.
Such a delicate being. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
A beautiful creature that lives a short life, two to six weeks unless it is fortunate enough to be the last generation of the year. Those of that lucky generation can live eight or nine months.
They’re on their way. Escaping winter. They can’t survive a cold winter no matter what stage of live they are in — larvae, pupae, or adult.
Using navigational aids such as the position of the sun and the magnetic pull of our planet, they travel south. Monarchs in eastern North America follow several paths to reach a common route that takes them to the same mountain areas of Mexico year after year. Monarchs in western North America fly to areas in the vicinity of Santa Cruz and San Diego to spend their winters.
All this travel, some flying as much as three thousand miles. Butterflies that have never flown this route before. Creatures that are not only delicate but incredibly intuitive.
Taking a break from nature for just a moment to look back. Route 29 in Charlottesville, just east of the airport. By 2004 when these pictures were taken the only thing left were signs.
The motel was on the east side of Route 29. Now at that intersection there is a Walgreens and to the north just across Profitt Road, a brand new Wawa. Times change. I love to capture what will soon be gone just before it disappears.
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin). In spring this bush of the eastern woods of North America create a wash of soft yellow with small but plentiful blooms. By autumn the blossoms have turned to brilliant red berries. Much to the delight of many birds, including two of my favorites, the Hermit Thrust, and the Red-eyed Vireo.
Sachem (Atalopedes campestris). A small grass skipper butterfly with a wingspan of just 1.25 to 1.5 inches. Skippers (Hesperiidae) are a family of butterflies that have the characteristics of both butterflies and moths.
Host plants of Sachem caterpillars are many grasses such as Bermuda Grass, Hairy Crabgrass, Red Fescue, St. Augustine Grass, Indian Goosegrass and Seashore Saltgrass. The Sachem is just one of so many skippers that I’m just beginning to get familiar with.
Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) is native to most of North America. Once thought to be two separate species, residents of eastern North America and western North America are now considered to be just one species.
As butterflies, adult Juniper Hairstreaks seek the nectar of many flowers such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Winter Cress, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Weed, White Sweetclover and many more. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, males looking for females hang out on Eastern Red Cedars, their host plant in this area. Want to find some Juniper Hairstreaks? Try shaking some branches of ERCs. You might just shake some free. Eggs are laid on the tips of the leaves the Eastern Red Cedar. After emerging from their eggs, the caterpillars will eat the leaves.
Juniper Hairstreaks are little butterflies, generally measuring in with a wingspan of 1 to 1.25 inches. The above photo might help you visualize the size with a Carpenter Bee in the image. Yes, a good bit of brown, and tiny but not to be confused with a moth!
Brand new! This Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) has just emerged from its chrysalis.
A couple years ago I decided that if I wanted to see Pipevine Swallowtails, I should get a plant that would engage them. Their host plants are in the genus Aristolochia. One of them, Woolly Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia tomentosa) filled the bill since it’s native to the eastern US and southeastern Canada. Perfect. I put up a trellis, planted it and let it grow.
And nature did its magic. Pipevine Swallowtails came and deposited eggs on the leaves. Those eggs became caterpillars. Many caterpillars.
I was beside myself with glee.
The little caterpillars ate the leaves of the vine, getting larger and larger until it was time for each of them to create a chrysalis. Much to my surprise one of the plump black and orange dotted creatures decided to present me with a gift. The gift of perfect location. It built its chrysalis right next to my front door at the perfect height for me to watch its progress. The perfect height for my camera to capture happenings.
The chrysalis was attached to the cedar siding with two little silken threads, one at the back and the other near the front. And it hung there day after day. Glowing with its incredible coloring. Glowing yellow creating the illusion of warm candlelight coming from within.
As time passed the chrysalis turned more and more paper bag brown. But still it seemed to glow from within with that warm candlelight yellow.
Then at about day 17, the chrysalis looked as if there was something inside, not just candlelight but something resembling a butterfly eager to get out. I thought about manning a station. Sitting, watching constantly to see the miraculous moment when the butterfly emerged. But I didn’t.
My next observation just a short time later, the chrysalis was just an empty shell. The incredible NEW butterfly was hanging onto the siding, pumping its butterfly “blood” into its wings. Getting ready to fly away to begin its extremely short life of just 6 to 14 days.
What an extraordinary thing to witness. I’m so very glad I planted that Wooly Dutchman’s Pipe.
Hickory Tussock Moths (Lophocampa caryae) are native to northeastern North America down to North Carolina and a few even wander to Texas and down into Mexico. These photos are their larvae, their caterpillars.
Hickory Tussock Moths have just one generation per year. Eggs are laid in clusters of 100 or beyond, on the undersides of the leaves of their preferred trees, Hickory, Walnut, Pecan, and American Hornbeam but other trees are chosen as well. These young caterpillars feed together as a “crew” skeletonizing the leaves. To see these caterpillars at work is startling but usually they don’t do enough damage to permanently harm a tree.
The more mature caterpillars are around in late summer into autumn. They measure to about 1.75 inches and develop into solitary creatures.
Looking cute and cuddly, white with black (those black tufts are called “pencils”). But be wise. Don’t pick them up. Their little barbed hairs can cause irritation on your skin. Panda Bears of the insect world — don’t touch.
Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil (Desmodium nudiflorum). Nice color! Soft to intense pink blossoms with a unique shape that makes me think of Crow T. Robot from Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Tick Trefoils are just beginning to bloom around my cabin.
The pea-like flowers are on stems that have no leaves and there, you’ve got the name Naked-flowered Tick Trefoil. In the United States it’s native to 34 states, and in much of eastern Canada.
The seeds of Tick Trefoils, called loments, have been known to me since childhood as hitchhikers. They stick all over hiking pants and animal’s fur. Spreading its population here and there.
Bees collect pollen from the flowers. The leaves are eaten by some skipper, butterfly, and moth caterpillars. And there’s that Crow T. Robot again.
