Butterflies on Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The first of the African Monarchs emerged today, confirming the ID:



When it left the container it was visited by a standard Monarch   :



while another African monarch fed on the nectar of the Lantana:

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

The Monarchs have continued breeding all summer but I've now netted most of my plants - they need to recover and grow. Hundreds have taken to the sky from my garden this year so I'm very happy.

Had a Red Admiral visit today:



Lots of Death's Head Hawkmoth caterpillars spotted today - stripping out the Mirabilis:

 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Had to share today's pic of one of the caterpillars 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

a few more of the death's head hawkmoth caterpillars  - some brown ones this time

 

And the front legs/claws are the stuff of nightmares!

  on this green one they look like prawns!!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

You may have seen in the Gardening thread that I've been cutting back my Swiss Cheese plant (Monstera Deliciosa). I left a pile of leaves on the drive overnight, complete with sticky juice from where I had been dissecting some ripe fruit from the Swiss Cheese.

When I went out this morning there was a Red Admiral butterfly sipping the remains of the juice. It came and went all day. In between times it disappeared into my jungle.



I've just looked it up on Wiki and found it's favoured plant is nettles - none of them here - but it also likes over ripe fruit! Aha! It was supping the juice I spilt yesterday and then going into the jungle where I later discovered some rotting fruit on the ground.

Love was in the air for the Monarchs again this afternoon - more caterpillars soon 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Anyone know which butterfly or moth this is from? It's about 6 inches long.



Have only spotted the one in the garden.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I've now seen several more of these caterpillars including a view from underneath which gave a lot more detail:

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

I'm still getting caterpillars like the 2 pictured above appearing in the garden. Another on a weeping pepper tree and one on a beach cherry which has totally different foliage. I think they might be Sphinx moth caterpillars.

I spotted half a dozen Monarch caterpillars, well developed today, hadn't realised the butterflies had started laying again, then actually spotted one laying eggs, so we're off again!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Any ideas what butterfly/moth this is? It was a reasonable size although not as big as Monarchs.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Any ideas what butterfly/moth this is? It was a reasonable size although not as big as Monarchs.

iNaturalist has ID'd this a a Clouded Yellow.