Date: 11/30/2012

Number: 1

Here’s a brief and general summary of my activities for this year.

-Planted approximately 10 new milkweed plants. The Tropical with the orange flowers yielded the best results.

-Successfully raised 2 butterflies in the early Spring.

-Successfully raised 19 (all tagged) during the Fall migration; 11 females and 8 males.(This is good considering the same amount was raised last year; seemed to notice only half as many adults visiting this year during the peak season.)

-Found 3 blackened/dead caterpillars and am wondering if overnight watering played a part.

-3 caterpillars which were raised inside my house died. After about 3 days as pupae a string of clear saliva looking fluid seeped out and the pupae turned black in spots.

-1 pupae turned black and hardened without the “string”.

-1 caterpillar died and a parasite/larva emerged from within it.

-2 of the butterflies during the early peak season, escaped from their caged nets inside the house not to be found until it was too late.

-So, I raised 19 butterflies out of 23 attempts from either eggs of caterpillars; better odds of survival than outside?

-Spent about $500 on water for the season but this included watering some new trees. Am wondering if the money spent would have been better served as a donation to help save them?

-By the way, one born late hitched a ride on Southwest airlines to Dallas; no flights to San Antonio that evening.

Overland Park, KS

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -94.7

Observed by: Karen
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.