Tag Archives: Gulf Fritillary

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Blooming in late May and Early June…

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Here are a few of the flowers and other stuff I managed to capture on digital media recently.

Actually, there are a lot more items in bloom, but these were closest on hand. The front yard also has Four-nerve daisies, Wright’s skullcap, Autumn Sage, Simpson’s rosinweed, Turkscaps, Engelmann daisies, Rock Rose, and White avens in bloom, besides those pictured below.

The South side of the house has Passiflora vines, copious amounts of Gulf Fritillary and other butterflies in varied stages of development, a Texas lantana, a Datura , lots of Blue Curls, a couple of White mistflowers (not blooming until the Fall), Clematis texensis and drummondii, some Asclepias plants for the Monarchs, and that pretty much covers what’s on bloom in June.

Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine), slightly past its glory

(Achillea millifolium) Milfoil

(Salvia farinacea) Mealy blue sage
Rudbeckia hirta – Brown eyed Susans

A surprise on June 1st – two baby Bluebonnets (Lupinus Texensis) blooming in the front yard!
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In praise of Tetraneuris scaposa

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Last post was nearly 6 months ago, after having gotten elected to my subdivision’s Home Owners Association (HOA). Fortunately for me, the new President has an excellent leadership style and a sense of humor – he’s commented a few times on my lack of love for Crape Myrtle (aka Crepe Myrtle) (Lagerstroemia spp.), and I have made a gavel from the remains of a few branches which had the misfortune of hanging over my property. (I have four longer pieces which I hope will become walking sticks or canes).

But I digress. This year Central Texas faced a drought throughout the Spring and Summer. Then, throughout November, we’ve had plenty of rain to raise our hopes for an abundant crop of wildflowers in the Spring. With the warmest December day we’ve ever had (82º F) this week, however, we should be cautious in making predictions.

So, recently, I’ve stepped outside and found Gulf Fritillary caterpillars still on green Passiflora leaves (photo 1), and further below, bunches of yellow Tetraneuris scaposa flowers taking advantage of the extended growing season.

Gulf Fritillary caterpillar( Dione vanillae) Photo taken December 2, 2022

Photo taken December 2, 2022 of caterpillar.

Four Nerve Daisies (Tetraneuris scaposa)  (photo 2) planted in the “nuisance strip” between the sidewalk and the curb; blooms are still going strong into December.

However, Tetraneuris scaposa can and will bloom throughout the year, here in Central Texas.Four Nerve Daisies Conditions have to be right, of course. They bear up to the heat of 100º F summers, but do need some water. And, as always, rain water seems to be the best for promoting growth in these and in BlackFoot Daisies (Melampodium leucanthum) of which I recently added a small plant and which has responded well to the recent rains.

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All my weeds are wildflowers (I wish)

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Passiflora incarnata/Ruellia nudiflora hybrid?

A couple of native plant species have begun to spread like weeds in the narrow area separating my subdivision plat from my neighbor’s house.

Passiflora incarnata, or Purple Passionflower, has sprung up where a corkscrew passionflower vine used to be, and through rhizomes has managed to propagate itself all along the Southern side of the house. I’ve done some pulling of the pups as the poke up through the mulch, and have been able to give away a few of them for others to try to get their own vines going.

The flowers of the Passion flower vine are about three inches in diameter, with the petals forming a wavy fringe. Stamens and stigmas also are striking in appearance as well. Several different types of butterflies use this as a larval host, most notably the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae ) and Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta  claudia ) butterflies. 

Passiflora icarnata infloresence, tri-lobed leaves, and tendril

Passiflora icarnata inflorescence, tri-lobed leaves, and tendril

The Ruellia nudiflora, or Wild Petunia, also has a purple to lavender flower, but it is trumpet-shaped. And it’s not a vine, but a sub-shrub perennial . After having transplanted this volunteer several years ago, it has now decided to propagate itself, like a weed, in the mulched bed and in the gravel path. Although its inflorescences look much like those of the cultivated Petunia, it is in the Acanthus Family, while the cultivated Petunia is in the Potato Family. The blossoms open in the morning, falling off in the afternoon. Like several other of my favorite wildflowers, its flowers are ephemeral, lasting for just a day.

Ruellia nudiflora inflorescence, surrounded by Passiflora leaves and tendril

Ruellia nudiflora inflorescence, surrounded by Passiflora leaves and tendril

As if having to “weed” native species wasn’t bad enough, as one can see from the top photo in this post, it looks as though the two plants have begun to hybridize to form a new species. Fortunately, (or unfortunately), that’s not the case: A blossom from the Ruellia has been captured by a tendril from the Passiflora, making it look (almost) like it belongs to the vine. 

Not sure what I’d do if they actually did start to hybridize – probably get a botanist or two to take a closer look. And get a nursery to work with to develop and patent the new species. And sit back and watch the money roll in (ha!).

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Agraulis vanillae Gulf Fritillary Butterfly larva

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Agraulis vanillae Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on Passiflora sp

Agraulis vanillae Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on Passiflora sp

 

While the Gulf Fritillary, as the name implies, is native to the area surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, but its range actually extends far beyond that. It is found as far south as Argentina and as far north as San Fransisco, according to Wikipedia.

Here it is on one of the Passiflora vines, one which is not native to the part of Central Texas where I live. It seems that one cannot find locally native plants unless one digs them up, which can’t be both ethical and legal, or manages to find some that have gone to seed and from which a small taking of seed would not endanger reproduction in the natural state.

 

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Gulf Fritillary on Gregg Mistflower

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Gulf Fritillary on Gregg Mistflower

Gulf Fritillary on Gregg Mistflower


Taken under low light conditions (I gotta figure out how to use the flash, I guess) here’s another one of the butterflies that have been hanging around the Gregg Mistflowers. (The other species is the Monarch.) The Agraulis vanillae Gulf Fritillary spends much of its life on the Passiflora spp. vine, especially as a caterpillar. As a result, the passionflower vines have been having a bit of trouble getting established this year.

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Gulf Fritillary – Agraulis vanillae

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Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae

Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae - click for larger image

This butterfly is probably a little far north than it should be in January. Perched here on Gregg Dalea, either to allow its wings to dry, or to feed on the few blossoms it found. It stayed still the whole time I was taking pictures of it and the Dalea greggii, so my guess is the former. The passion flower vines that it usually feeds on are dead and I recently cut them back so as to keep the HOA happy with appearances…