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Originally Posted by Turtle  roger all. my first blush looking at the 2 is that it is the invader. they do like the lettuce to fly around, but i don't see them really doing anything to it and they get around the wildflower beds as well. the one i saw the spot had just one spot & i didn't notice the underside. that veining on the native species is distinctive, even for my eye, and all the ones i see have been'pure' white.  |
Their caterpillar is a green hairless worm.
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Originally Posted by Turtle i don't have a net, was thinking of making one if using them is ok, but always hesitant to acquire anything new. before i go there, i'll try my trick that caught pictures of the flies that look like bees. can i put a dab of anything on some leaves that would attract these butterflies to where the camerea is aimed? 
thanks & will keep you posted. . . . . . . .  |
They use some kind of salt mixture. I cannot remember exactly what (I keep thinking sodium bicarbonate or just sodium carbonate). Do not use table salt (iodine), just to be safe.
but I did find a recipe:
A Garden Cake for Attracting Butterflies!
¼ cup salt
¼ cup cornstarch
1/2 cup processed cow manure
1/2 cup sand
water
decorations
Mix all dry ingredients. Add water to consistency for holding shape. The key is to not make it too wet or you will have mush. Pack mixture in old cake pan, plastic sand bucket or what you have on hand. Make graduated tiers or use your imagination. Let it dry for just a little while before unmolding. Unmold and place in flower garden. I place flowers near the base perimeter and some centered on top leaving the cake surface exposed for attracting butterflies.Edge cake with flat rocks, preferable dark colored for sunrise heat absorption. Dot cake with flowers that do well with cutting (lavender, zinna, purple coneflower, aster, etc.) Refresh cake by spraying gently with water and replacing flower heads every couple of days. Bon Appetite!
The above recipe came from butterflybreeders.org
NOTE: We get many photos of various bugs on wolf scat. Bugs LOVE wolf scat. Big time. There are urine spots which also attract large numbers of butterflies but I dont know the source. Where we found beer laden urine spots (people suck) there were no butterflies attracted to that. They also do not seem to like goose scat or bear scat. Limited responses to raccoon scat. Mink or otter (not sure of the source) has varied responses.
Some dead animals whos intestines/stomachs have been opened seem to attract. Dead and squished ground squirrels attract butterflies. Frogs and toads do while their wet.
There are some studies on salt / amino acid combos:
Sodium: Stimulus for Puddling Behavior by Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, Papilio glaucus -- Arms et al. 185 (4148): 372 -- Science
I commented on the various scats because I have seen a difference in their attraction of Leps. There is either some kind of difference in mineral expulsion or the food source of animal makes a difference. There are also some pretty cool butterflies who do not nectar at all but go for saps, puddles, scats etc. for their food supply.
Re: Bugs and Butterflies 
i went through the stills & found a decent one showing the head. 
Re: Bugs and Butterflies 
i separated the gall from the branch and placed it in a glass jar & rubber-banded a fine fabric mesh over the top. the gall is in 3 main pieces and going by how many larvae i saw in the gall that i opened in the field I'm thinking there may be others inside my pieces. pretty much just wait it out now 'til spring i guess. 
it is about 1 to 1 1/2" across, white, and has a small black dot on the wing(s). when it does light, it closes the wings upward. 
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Re: Bugs and Butterflies 
