Butterflies on Fuerteventura

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Great pic Tardis!
I've been away for 2 weeks and my milkweed is smothered in aphids again. I would love to have more ladybirds as well. As I have no caterpillars at the moment I am going to give my plants a good drench with Neem. I've also got massive infestations of various scale pests and cochinilla to deal with on my other plants/shrubs - I think they were all waiting for me to go on vacation!

My mirabilis have been stripped by the giant Death's Head Hawk Moth caterpillars. Last month they were on the Guaydil. I counted 6 of the monsters this morning.

[Tardis]

Great pic Tardis!
I've been away for 2 weeks and my milkweed is smothered in aphids again. I would love to have more ladybirds as well. As I have no caterpillars at the moment I am going to give my plants a good drench with Neem. I've also got massive infestations of various scale pests and cochinilla to deal with on my other plants/shrubs - I think they were all waiting for me to go on vacation!

My mirabilis have been stripped by the giant Death's Head Hawk Moth caterpillars. Last month they were on the Guaydil. I counted 6 of the monsters this morning.

Gosh Tamara, you are going to be busy.  I hope you get everything sorted out.

Here’s a website with various suggestions for controlling aphids on milkweed:

https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/contr...ed-plants/

One suggestion, is placing thin strips of banana peel on milkweed stems near buds/blooms where aphids like to congregate.  It did not work for us.

[Tardis]

These little bees on our Milkweed are only about 4mm long.  It looks as if they have a drop of nectar, water, or something else in their mouths.  You can see refraction.  Any suggestions?

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

No idea what they are but superb pictures and cute little bees!

[Gone Fishing]

Possibly a sand wasp (Bembix) also know as a digging bee just for confusion

They do take nectar from flowers

[Tardis]

We recently had a new generation of Monarchs emerging from chrysalises.

Within a day, they were mating and laying eggs.  One of them mistook a green moth for a leaf, and laid an egg on one of the moth’s wings!

[OMR + MIN]

Congratulations Tardis! So late in the season too.

Great pics as always. Thanks. 

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

the shrubby poinsettia in my garden 12th November.

  and 18 days later.

Meanwhile my new milkweed has a different colour flower, plain orange rather than red and yellow.

no sign of any butterfly eggs but I think it's probably a bit late in the season.

[Tardis]

Quite a few of our Monarch eggs have hatched.  Would anyone like some caterpillars?

Our strategy of setting aside some milkweed as a no go area for caterpillars has worked out well this time.  We’ve had plenty of flowers for the butterflies to graze on.  We have about seven butterflies.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Thanks for the offer but I haven't got enough growth on my milkweeds at the moment - I wouldn't want to starve a caterpillar!