Lots of Butterflies!
Great Spangled Fritillaries, Speyeria cybele I’m amazed at the number of Great Spangled Fritillaries that we are seeing right now. There are clouds of them around many flowers such as … Continued
Giant Swallowtail
Giant Swallowtail, Papilio cresphontes Pickerelweed has started to bloom along the edges of the ponds. It’s a good place to photograph butterflies because the water provides a clean background.
Great Spangled Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele The milkweeds are starting to bloom. They provide nectar to many butterflies such as this Great Spangled Fritillary.
Spiderwort
Spiderwort, Tradecantia oshiensis This is what Spiderworts look like when the blossoms are fully open. The flowers open up during the morning and close by the afternoon. At the PGT … Continued
Ox-eye Daisy
Ox-eye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare This attractive wildflower is blooming now. It’s not native, but it isn’t aggressive, so we tolerated it at the PGT.
Great Spangled Fritillary
Speyeria cybele, Echinacea pallida Coneflowers blooming this week. A perfect food source for butterflies.
13-Year Cicadas
Periodical Cicada, Magicicada sp Billions of these insects are singing loudly at the PGT and across Missouri. Under some trees, such as crabapples, it’s so loud that it’s hard to … Continued
Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly
Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor The best way to find butterflies is to find the flowers they’re feeding on. Right now that’s Bee Balm.
Prairie Grass Dew
Indian Grass, Sorghastrum nutans The rain this week creates sparkling dewdrops on the prairie grasses. The downside is that your pants get wet when you step off the trail.
Spiderwort
Spiderwort, Tradecantia oshiensis I’m starting to see this wildflower in the prairies at the PGT.