Anise Swallowtail Butterfly

The Anise Swallowtail Butterfly is a butterfly more common to Western United States, but is occasionally seen in the Southeast. When I observed this particular butterfly on August 10th at the Lake County Extension Service's Discovery Gardens, I wasn't sure which type of swallowtail butterfly it was.

Anise Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Observing this butterfly, I noticed it was smaller than the other swallowtails and had an interesting body that was yellow with black stripings running head to toe, so to speak. The Wikipedia reference states the opposite: "the body is predominantly black, with yellow stripes running laterally along the abdomen."

Anise Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

This was a difficult butterfly to photograph in Discovery Gardens as I observed it quickly flitting from one part of the park to the other. It did seem to gravitate to the Jatropha integerrima which was just outside the Butterfly House and also in other locations.

Anise Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

When I photographed this swallowtail, I had just photographed the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly near the Butterfly House. Trying to correctly identify the Anise Swallowtail, it is smaller than the Tiger Swallowtail and lacks the vertical black striping patterns. "There are yellowish-orange to red eyespots near the tails of each wing, each containing a black pupil."~Wikipedia

Anise Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly is such a pretty butterfly to observe. I have seen several of these type of butterflies in my Leesburg, Florida gardens; however, I have yet to photograph one here. I did observe many of these butterflies in my Jacksonville, Florida gardens.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - Jacksonville, Florida

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly was photographed in my Mexican Petunias located in my side yard gardens in Jacksonville. I've also got Mexican Petunias in my Leesburg front yard garden, so I am hopeful to snap a photo or two of this pretty butterfly.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - Jacksonville, Florida

Checking the Wikipedia reference, this appears to be the female because of its ventral side markings. "The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black." Pretty cool how the female is dimorphic!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly - Jacksonville, Florida

I recently photographed a female dark morph, the Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly. The wingspan can be up to 5.5 inches with the females being larger than the males.

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly has been the one butterfly I have seen the most, both in my Jacksonville and Leesburg, Florida gardens. It is a very pretty orange-colored butterfly that has marking on the underside of its wings that are most interesting. At quick glance, seeing the underside, you might think Monarch Butterfly!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

I recently photographed the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on several different visits in August 2017 to the Lake County Extension Service's Discovery Gardens.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Visiting the Butterfly House at Discovery Gardens on Monday, August 7th, I noticed a small Gulf Fritillary Butterfly in the cage at the back. It looked possibly newly arrived and a bit in distress. I stopped by the office and asked to get word to John, the leader there. When I came back on Thursday, the door was lying on top of the cage. I did see a small Gulf Fritillary Butterfly flying around the Butterfly House!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

This butterfly was photographed most often on the Jatropha integerrima plant which was more like a small tree at the entrance of Butterfly House. Throughout Discovery Gardens, I noticed another larger Jatropha. The Jatropha is in the spurge family, native to Cuba and Hispaniola, and often known as peregrina or spicy jatropha. It is a flowering plant I would like to add to my front yard gardens in Leesburg, Florida.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly Underside - Discovery Gardens

In the photo above, you get a good view of the underside of the Gulf Fritillary. Notice how different it is from the orange-colored topside! It has sections of its wings that resemble a Monarch Butterfly -- at least I think so!!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

In this photo above, you see how the Gulf Fritillary has nose-dived into the Jatropha flower! I think this gives you an idea of how attractive the Jatropha is to butterflies, particularly this species.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

"The sexes are dimorphic. Females are somewhat darker and more extensively marked. The forewing cell contains three black-rimmed white spots. The undersides of the wings are brown with elongated silvery-white spots." ~University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Check out the larva -- there is a great photo on UF's page along with more interesting photos and information! "The mature larva is bright orange with numerous black branched spines." "Black and orange stripes warn predators of the toxicity of the caterpillar which protects it from predators."

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly is "of the family Nymphalidae and subfamily Heliconiinae. That subfamily was formerly set apart as a separate family, the Heliconiidae. The Heliconiinae are 'longwing butterflies.'" ~Wikipedia

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Learning more about the Gulf Fritillary, I find the story of the Chrysalis stage most curious! Please take a moment to read that segment of the Wikipedia reference. I was hanging on the part about when "it begins to pump the fluids from its bulging abdomen into its shriveled wings." That action is much like the Monarch Butterfly!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

If you live in Florida, you too have probably observed the Gulf Fritillary! It is common to all 67 counties of Florida. I am now on the lookout to observe the purple passionflower, a host plant. The female butterfly will lay its "small yellow eggs singly on or near leaves, stems or tendrils of the purple passionflower." That is one beautiful host for such a beautiful, and often-seen, butterfly!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly in Jacksonville, Florida

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly -- Jacksonville, Florida

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly -- Jacksonville, Florida

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly -- Jacksonville, Florida

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly -- Jacksonville, Florida

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

The Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly is reportedly a pretty common type of butterfly and also the most beautiful and interesting of the swallowtails. This morning at the Lake County Extension Service Discovery Gardens, I photographed my first such swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

I had recently blogged about the Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly and thought, at first, this might be one of them! However, as I walked around Discovery Gardens and then came back to the Butterfly House, I knew it was something different!

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Checking the University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department, photos, it appears this butterfly is a male. The bluish color on the bottom of the wings indicates male.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Looking at the body, black with white dots, that is quite similar to the Eastern Black Swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Another comparison to the Eastern Black Swallowtail is the colored spots on the underside bottom of the wings. The Spicebush Swallowtail has an area of blue coloring instead of the spots which distinguishes it from that type of swallowtail.

Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

When it comes to mating, "both sexes will copulate with several mates during mating season. However, each time a female mates, she becomes less likely to mate again." ~Wikipedia. "The entire development process from egg to adult takes about a month. Once they have reached the adult stage, Papilio troilus can live anywhere from two days to two weeks dependent on resource availability and predator avoidance."

Did you know that the Spicebush Swallowtail is a puddler? They will engage in puddling as an adult when flying in search of food or a mate. Flying together in groups near banks of water, they will extract moisture from the sand or soil near these banks of water.

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly

The Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly is quite the interesting butterfly! It was a very hot and humid afternoon yesterday, August 8, 2017. I had observed this butterfly earlier in the day. When it arrived later in the afternoon, for an extended photographic shoot, it was buzzing away at the burgundy Penta blossoms. It appeared to be intoxicated with this plant!

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

The behavior of this particular Swallowtail Butterfly was much like the Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly I observed about a week ago in the same burgundy Penta plant.

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

It is concerning to learn that this beautiful Swallowtail Butterfly is occasionally considered a pest! And, it is also the most common and most studied butterfly!!

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

Observing the Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly, it appeared to be intoxicated with the Penta. It was buzzing away, flitting its wings, so much so, you'd think it was a hummingbird. I snapped quite a few photos from my kitchen window and then came outside to get closer. With the butterfly hanging around for what seemed like a long time -- definitely 30 minutes or more -- I was sure I'd get a photo that would help me to identify the sex.

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

The first photograph on UF's page on the Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly shows a female with its wings spread. "The area between the rows of spots on the hind wings of females is powdery iridescent blue. The blue area in males is much less prominent." Checking my first and third photo, that matches up the blue spots to say this butterfly is a female.

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

"The under sides of wings of males and females are virtually identical. The front wings have two rows of pale yellow spots. Hind wings have rows of bright orange spots separated by areas of powdery blue."

Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, Florida

You can see a comparison of photos of the male vs female Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly on Wikipedia.

This butterfly has the distinction of being named the state butterfly for two states -- Oklahoma and New Jersey! It's curious to note that its caterpillar is named the parsley worm because the caterpillar actually feeds on parsley. I'd say that butterfly grew up having good taste, but it absorbs toxins from host plants which makes it taste bad to predators -- good news, bad news!

It is an interesting fact that males can only mate-copulate twice a day while females will mate more than once to replace sperm supply. It is impressive to note that copulations will last around 45 minutes.

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Visiting the Butterfly House at the Lake County Extension Center's Discovery Gardens in Tavares, Florida, on August 3, 2017, I photographed a beautiful butterfly that I first thought might be a Swallowtail. It was John, the leader there, who told me that it was a Zebra Longwing Butterfly!

Zebra Longwing Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Did you know that the zebra longwing butterfly (Heliconius charitonius) was designated the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996? That's pretty cool to know.

Zebra Longwing Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

I have observed many black colored butterflies in my gardens, both in Jacksonville and Leesburg, Florida. Only recently having photographed this particular butterfly at the Discovery Gardens made me realize that I have probably observed that type of butterfly more often than realized!

Learning more about the Zebra Longwing Butterfly, it is quite interesting to know that when alarmed, this butterfly will make some kind of creaking sound! This butterfly is reported to be the only type of butterfly that will actually eat pollen. I wonder how they know that to be a fact? And, that eating pollen will give them a longer life span of some six months. It is kind of disturbing to know that most butterfly species have a one month life span. How sad!!!

Reading the reference page from the University of Florida, it said this butterfly cannot be confused with any other Florida butterfly. Hey, at first look, I confused it with a Swallowtail ... but am now very clear on the difference! Check out UF's page to see some cool photos of this butterfly in various life stages and to see the awesome host plant, the Purple Passionflower!

Returning to the Discovery Gardens, August 10, 2017, I photographed the Zebra Longwing Butterfly for the second time. That was precisely one week since the first sighting and photography.

Zebra Longwing Butterfly - Discovery Gardens

Studying the markings on this butterfly, it sure does appear to be the very same butterfly previously photographed.

Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly

It was a distinct pleasure to observe and photograph the Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly in my front yard garden on Friday, August 4, 2017 at about 1:05pm.

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

For more than a year, since I installed my front yard garden in Leesburg, Florida, I have observed numerous butterflies. The most abundant butterfly I have observed has been a Swallowtail. However, this is the first observation and subsequent photography of one so large.

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

This Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly was seemingly intoxicated with my burgundy Penta plant. I easily captured nearly two dozen photographs.

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

The better photographs were taken from my front yard garden. I didn't know whether the butterfly would stay put on the Penta plant or fly away if I came closer.

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

When I stepped into my front yard garden, I noticed a very large Monarch Butterfly just arrived and was flitting around the front of the garden near the Mexican Petunias. As I approached to take just one photograph of the Monarch, it flew to my right near the 3 Firecracker plants and then seemed to fly off.

Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

I am trying to improve my butterfly photography and think I might have a better chance of top-notch photographs if I use a better camera, such as the Nikon D5300. These photographs were all taken with the Fuji Finepix V10 -- that is a fabulous little digital camera that I have had for a very long time!

Underside of Adult Giant Swallowtail Butterfly - Leesburg, FL

The giant swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes Cramer, is a striking, wonderfully "exotic"-looking butterfly that is very abundant in Florida. ~University of Florida, Entomology and Nematology Department

If you want to read some interesting facts about the Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, you must check out UF's site. "The osmeterium of fourth and fifth instars contains a highly noxious, pungent mixture of chemicals (40:60 mixture of isobutyric acid and 2-methyl butyric acid) that smells like rancid butter."

Did you know that "the larval or caterpillar stage can be considered a pest due to its habit of feeding on the foliage of most Citrus species."
Check out my other sightings of butterflies in Leesburg and Jacksonville, Florida:

• Anise Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly
• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
• Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
• Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
• Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterflies

If you like daisies, you are sure to love the Echinacea White Swan Coneflower. I have admired this particular flower in other people's gardens for years. It was only recently that I actually learned the name of this flower and actually decided to plant some in my own garden. I was always remarking, I love that flower with the domed centers - what do you call that? The longer name is Echinacea purpurea White Swan Coneflower; shorter version of Echinacea White Swan.

Echinacea White Swan Coneflower and Butterfly

What impressed me right out of the gate were the butterflies who came to visit. My next door neighbor had dropped by the check out my newly planted flower garden. I was telling her that within five minutes of putting the Echinacea White Swan in the ground, a butterfly was already perched on the flower! And, that butterfly hung around for quite a while, checking out each of the three plants. If you love butterflies in your garden, consider the butterfly-friendly plants like Echinacea White Swan!

And Butterflies!

The Echinacea White Swan Coneflower is reportedly not as "hardy" as its purple counterpart, the Magnus. They both prefer full sunlight conditions and can tolerate the weather as cold as 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit. They will grow to achieve a height of some two to three feet with a good spread of eighteen inches.

Planting Instructions:

This pretty flowering plant can tolerate hot and dry conditions. It can be planted in ordinary well-drained soil.

1. Dig a hole that is two times the width of the pot.
2. The depth of the hole should fully accommodate the root ball so that it is level with the ground.
3. Add planting mix along with your soil and tamp down.
4. Adequately water your planted area and add more soil if needed.
5. Cover the area with mulch.

Excellent Resources:

• I have been a long-time fan of Wikipedia! Check out their informational wiki pages specifically on Echinacea and Echinacea purpurea.
• I am impressed with the North Creek Nurseries profile on the Echinacea purpurea White Swan.
• Another good resource is Monrovia who describes this plant as "Daisy-like flowers have a coppery cone center surrounded by drooping snow white petals." And, more importantly, a "magnet for butterflies."

You'll want to check out the impressive Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers in front of Building 99 at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington campus. Do a Google Image Search too!

You've just checked out the "micro view" of this flower; now for the "macro view!"

Flower Garden of Daisy Bushes and Echinacea White Swan Coneflowers

On the left is my 8 foot tall Sunflower Garden! And, on the right is yet another flower garden! I dug up another rectangular patch in my backyard for this garden. It houses four daisy bushes and three Echinacea White Swan Coneflower plants. Other elements include two 12 foot black extension drainage, ten 12 inch red patio stones, ten bags of cypress mulch, 4 bags of white marble stones and one sunflower garden stake.

Look closely and you will see the neighborhood orange male tabby cat - he rather looks like a garden element! At the back patio door you might notice Boots the cat who returned home recently after a three year absense.

P.S. Amazon is a great resource for Everything Echinacea!