Posts Tagged: passion flower vine
A Passion for Passion Flowers
Honey bees are passionate about passion flowers (Passiflora). The intricate tropical flower is their private merry-go-round, their favorite hide 'n seek place, their gathering spot. If you've been around passion flower vines, you know they attract honey bees, carpenter bees and Gulf Fritillary...
Honey bees foraging on a passion flower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
So many bees, so little time. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
From the top, the passion flower blossom looks like an intricate merry-go-round. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
That's One Beautiful Butterfly
First the lantana, and then the passion flower vine. The Gulf Fritillary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae) flutter daily around our backyard. They stop for a little nectar from lantana (family Verbenaceae), and then head over to the passion flower vines (genus Passiflora) to breed or lay their...
Gulf Fritillary butterfly on lantana. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Another view of the Gulf Fritillary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view (underside) of Gulf Fritillary about to lay an egg on a passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Wearing of the Orange
It was a perfect St. Patrick's Day--not just for the wearing of the green, but for the wearing of the orange. The Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) arrived in our yard Sunday afternoon, March 16 and deposited an egg, just like E. Bunny will do soon. The Gulf Frit's host plant is...
Gulf Fritillary butterfly touches down on the leaves of an Amaryllis, aka naked lady. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gulf Fritillary checks out the leaves of a passion flower plant. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Egg of a Gulf Fritillary. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close Call
Whew! That was close! When you see a butterfly with a gaping hole in its wingspan, you wonder what predator tried to grab it. A praying mantis? A bird? A crab spider or jumping spider? A playful cat or dog? Whatever tried to grab it, it missed. That brings to mind the proverbial saying, "A...
Gulf Fritillary butterfly showing signs of a predatory miss. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Gulf Fritillary on the blossom of a passion flower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Well, Hello There!
At first they appeared on our pomegranate tree, our 85-year-old pomegranate tree. Then they migrated over to our passion flower vine, Passiflora, where we're trying to rear Gulf Fritillary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae). They're leaffooted bug nymphs, Leptoglossus clypealis. They look...
Leaffooted bug nymphs, Leptoglossus clypealis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Leaffooted bug nymphs, Leptoglossus clypealis. crowd a leaf of a passion flower vine. Note the yellow Gulf Fritillary eggs on the leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. These leaffooted bug nymphs are sharing leaves of the Passiflora with Gulf Fritillary caterpillars. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)