I’ve been seeing more cicadas on the paths during the past week, some alive, some expired.
Not as close as the cicada, but close enough…
The “tail” on the butterfly above is usually longer than it appears in the photo. This butterfly may have narrowly escaped being eaten, the predator getting only a portion of the “tail” not the butterfly itself. The tail is actually an extension of the wings like the tails on a swallowtail butterfly.
It won’t be long before we see tiny red nymphs crawling all over the Butterfly Weed plant pictured above.
And finally…
Enjoy!
I’ve had a number of Long-tailed Skippers on my lantana this year, the first year I’ve ever seen them. They are such beautiful little butterflies and easy to get close enough for a macro but I’ve noticed unless they’re in the sunlight you can’t see the lovely iridescent quality on their wings. It seems to me I’ve seen more butterflies this year and a larger variety of species.
Hey Judy,
The numbers of these skippers fluctuates year to year. To quote Richard Stickney here at the Museum back in August, “We’ve also had more Long-Tailed Skippers than ever before…” so it seems like it may be an up year for them.
I can remember when I first moved to NC. I took a trip down to the coast and while walking through the streets of South Port, which has an abundance of lantana planted in, seemingly, everyone’s front yard, I was overwhelmed by the number of L-t Skippers that I saw. Of course, on the coast you almost always see more L-t Skippers than here in the Piedmont.
And yes, they are a neat butterfly.
Thanks,