Category Archives: Butterflies

Common North American Butterflies mainly encountered throughout Houston Texas

Eastern Black Swallowtail Hatches After Six Months

Leecy and I have had this collection of Eastern Black Swallowtail Chrysalises since October 2009.  I had previously read that occasionally some of these Butterflies don’t hatch out of their Chrysalises until the following Spring.  That seemed like an awful long time for these Butterflies to stay in the Chrysalis stage, but what did I...

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Houston, Are You Ready?!

I confess. I’m starting to get a little excited with each passing weekend.  If it hold true that we will no longer have freezing temperatures, then those of around Houston can start finally taking a tally of what plants may survive, and which plants may have bit the dust.  Since I have so very little...

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Wintering Monarchs Are Struggling. Not Looking Good

Just received a report from the North American Butterfly Association that up to 10% of the Monarchs over-wintering in the El Rosario section of the reserve have probably died due to the intense rain and hailstorms.  So first we have the lowest recorded population count ever, and now there already is a loss of 10%...

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Bad News For Monarch Butterflies

I just finished reading the latest report about the Monarch populations overwintering in Mexico.  It’s not good.
I’ll try and provide just a brief summary, but I encourage you to read the full article when you have time.
Only 7 Monarch Butterfly colonies were observed comprising 1.92 hectares (however big that is).  In the 1990’s the occupied...

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Monarch Butterfly Wing Repair

Before the freezing temperatures occurred (around Christmas), we brought 15 Monarch Chrysalises indoors.  All but 3 of those Chrysalises were hatched and released.
Because of the extreme cold, I didn’t feel it was warm enough to release the last 3 hatchlings.  The cold weather allowed us to master the art of hand feeding Butterflies.  The technique...

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