Date: 06/16/2016
Number: 2
One sighting last week, and two this week.
Adults have begun nectaring on both natives and exotics, rather than exotics previously noted. These include butterfly bush (Asian) jessamine (Southeastern US native), as well as CA native mallows. May not yet have discovered very small milkweed plants not in flower (A. fascularis and speciosa). Milkweed is not growing under ideal conditions. Due to poor drainage, some plants are in containers.
Butterfly cohort include California Sister, Giant Swallowtail, Gulf Frittary, unknown Sulfur and many metalmarks.
Also there is a smaller dark orange butterfly which looks like a different class of butterfly -- different wing shape and flappy flight style, like a bat or moth. It is heavily interacting with the two monarchs, seemingly territorially. Not a juvenile and not a frittary. They seem to have no trouble evading it.
Los Angeles, CA
Latitude: 34.1 Longitude: -118.5
Observed by: Jennifer
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