Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Chrysalis 13 days after it first formed.  The Monarch emerged about 1 hour after this photo was taken.  I raised Monarchs last year and took these photos then.

Monarch shortly after it emerges from the chrysalis.

Monday, August 29, 2016

Medium sized Monarch Caterpillar the still needs to go through more molts to reach full size.

Monarch chrysalises.  A friend of ours has been finding eggs(not easy) and has raised many Monarchs this year.  Still quite a few caterpillars around that will be the generation of Monarchs to fly to Mexico.

Friday, August 26, 2016

BUTTERFLIES ON OUR PRAIRIE AUG. 25, 2016

Silver-spotted Skipper on Mt. Mint.  A fairly small, and uncommon butterfly.  This week the Mountain Mint appears to be the favorite pollen producer for the butterflies on our prairie.

Fritillary on Mt. Mint.  We have several species of the Fritillary family.

Black Swallowtail on Mt. Mint.

Monarch on Mt. Mint.  The Monarchs are now in migration to Mexico.

Crescent Butterfly

Monday, August 22, 2016

Many Green Darner Dragonflies working our grasslands today.  They, like birds, also migrate south, but little is know of their migration patterns.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Tiger Swallowtail on Cup Plant.

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Ambush Bug on Early Sunflower.

Ambush Bug attacking bee.

Red Admiral on Rough Blazing Star

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Cream Gentian

Tiger Swallowtail on Rough Blazing Star, Lake Louise St. Park, LeRoy, Mn.

Nodding Wild Onion

Thursday, August 11, 2016

TOUGH WEEK?

If you think you had a tough week, take a close look at the wings on this poor old swallowtail.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

This Cicada had just crawled out of the grub exoskeleton on the left when I found it this morning.  The adult Cicada is about 1.5 inches long and will soon be in the tree tops on loudly buzzing away on hot August days.

Friday, August 5, 2016

MORE PRAIRIE FLOWERS

Cup Plant

Ironweed

Prairie Blazing Star

Early Sunflower

Hoary Vervain

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Young Grosbeak after a dip in the birdbath.

Female Hummer on our lily,


Monday, August 1, 2016

Monarch.  Got this shot this morning.  Many Monarchs are mating at our place now.

Buckeye butterfly.  I have read that these migrate up into Minnesota in the summer.  They are about 2/3 normal size this year.  I have observed that later hatches tend to be larger in many butterflies.

Tiger Swallowtail on our lilies. The butterfly numbers are down from last year.  Too much rain???