skip to main content

Ant taking a ride on a Swallowtail!

Konrad___far_north

16 years ago

This Summer

{{gwi:479110}}

Common Alpine

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (16)

minrose
16 years ago
How lovely these are, how cute with the ant.
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
Very nice, Konrad! I never have seen a Common Alpine before.

The stow-a-way ant is really cool.

In the second photo, is that a plum tree, or perhaps an apple tree?

Kt
Related Discussions
Zebra Swallowtails
Q
Comments (6)
Christie, I sorta take the ZST sightings across the street with a grain of salt. They have raised monarchs since before I moved in in 2005, so they are not newbies. OTOH, I have no clue whether they know the differences between the different types of swallowtails we get around here. I'm not going to quiz them since they let me use their walnut tree leaves. Experience has taught me to keep my mouth shut when people have something I want. :D Sherry, I was down in southern Ohio in early May 2009 for a butterfly tour. It rained so I saw very few butterflies but when the rain stopped, ZSTs were out in force, lots and lots of them. Of the available nectar choices, they preferred hoary puccoon.
...See More
Swallowtail Egg question
Q
Comments (20)
Thanks, John. Mine is bronze fennel. It is relatively high now, but our growing seasons are quite a bit different. I got home yesterday, and had more eggs on my dill. For some reason, they are passing on both the fennel and the rue I have in my garden. Both have plenty of plant to support caterpillars, but the butterflies don't seem to care. I even watched a BST lay three eggs on a VERY small dill seedling while completely avoiding the fennel and rue. Maybe they just prefer different plants in different areas, and maybe even different times of the year. Worst case scenario, though, at least I have some fennel and rue to feed the caterpillars in my cage.
...See More
Something new going after my Spicebush Swallowtail cats
Q
Comments (9)
We did our local July 4th NABA Butterfly count yesterday. I helped my friend Amy at Redbud Valley, one of our local nature areas. Amy is a naturalist, employed by the city of Tulsa. She works at Oxley Nature Center and Redbud Valley. Everyone wanted to do Oxley, as there is lots of nectar available right now, so it was just the two of us. Anyway, part of the hike goes through an area of Spicebush, so we checked out the plants. There was lots of evidence of predation. We found two small live caterpillars, one in a leaf roll with a mass of eggs on the underside. The eggs were so small, they could only be seen with a magnifying glass. Amy sent the two live cats home with me to raise. I'll return them to the area when they eclose. I removed the leaf with the eggs on it, and moved the cats to a small potted Spicebush. The temps here were 104 in the afternoon. We were exhausted and extremely sweaty after our 4 hour up and down hike. Not much nectar available, and not many bugs out--just 19 species. But we did get to add Spicebush to our count. Sandy
...See More
Lots of Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillars!
Q
Comments (26)
When it gets down to 40 degrees at night, I call that winter, Terrene! I watched the weather tonight, and they said that it was supposed to be in the 60's here at night in late September, so I guess it isn't all that unusual. Hearing that the country was supposed to have a 'bitterly cold winter' must have swayed my opinion, or maybe I just want them to overwinter, so I can get some rest! :) I can't recall a green chrysalis of any type butterfly, including black swallowtails, ever overwintering here, but my senior mind might be wrong. If you've had them overwinter, maybe I have, too. We still have a LOT of hummingbirds here, but then they don't normally leave until mid-October, with a few ruby throat stragglers showing up at the feeders in late October. Last winter I got a rufous hummingbird for the first time - 'sure hope I get one this winter! I'm still raising one variegated frit and some gulf frits, although most GFs are raising themselves outside. I may bring some hatchling red-spotted purples in to raise, or I may leave them outside. I released a RSP the other day, and have two more chrysalides. I'm also raising two more spicebush swallowtails and have a lot of chrysalides. The luna moths FINALLY quit eating and have all made their cocoons, thank goodness - I hope they all overwinter. The pipevines are making a lot of new growth, so if a pairing of pipevine swallowtails takes place, the vines will be ready. Terrene, if Massachusetts used to get pipevine swallowtails, they still could do so - Cathy in Pennsylvania gets them. If I were you, I'd plant some some pipevines! Sherry
...See More
ronf_gw
16 years ago
Fantastic pictures!!
Ron
gmom74
16 years ago
Your butterfly pictures are beautiful. I love that hitchhiker.
chris_in_iowa
16 years ago
konrad___far_north,

Can you please tell us what equipment you used to take the photo of the butterfly with the ant on its butt please?

We in the greenhouse forum need help!!!!!

Thanks.....

Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouse and structures forum.
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
Do you have ants in your greenhouses?
chris_in_iowa
16 years ago
Ants, butterflies, mice, toads, frogs, wasps, spiders, groundhogs and raccoons to name a few!

Oh and a couple of the posters over there have a few flowers!

Seriously we are interested, and basically clueless about taking real close up close ups and what is the most cost effective way of doing it.

Inanimate objects I put on the scanner, but spiders and flowers look a bit squished when you do that!

(well I am clueless. the others over there can at least work a VCR)

:)
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
What kind of camera do you have?

Some cameras will let you take macro photos and some won't unless you have special lenses.

Kt
chris_in_iowa
16 years ago
At the moment all I have is a Kodak DX3500.

Some of the posters on the greenhouse forum want to take close up shots of orchids.

I would like to take pics of the spiders and wasps I get in my greenhouse in the fall.

I guess the reason we are all interested in what type of equipment we should be looking at is because after Christmas comes the sales.
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
It would also be a good idea to use a tripod or some similar device to hold the camera still.

I'm not familiar with the Kodak DX3500. I will have to look into it tomorrow and let you know what I find.

Getting late here, need to go re-charge my batteries...

Kt
Konrad___far_north
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all!

The pictures I shot with a canon rebel, about 4 feet away, using a 70 mm - 200 mm F2.8 lens and a 2x converter, making the lens a 400 mm reach.
But...I don't think you have to go this expensive, there are point and shoot cameras with macro settings, my wife has
a canon S2 IS and she likes it.
One thing you have to consider with these cheaper cameras, you get the most value for the money and make
excellent pictures but when it comes to fast action shots, like moving targets, the camera is a bit slow in processing
and more pictures have to be taken to get a good one. Overall, a great buy for the money!

Here some examples...
Macro, camera has to be very close to the subject!

..
using zoom

Konrad
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
Konrad, Excellent photos! You do a great job!

Kt
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
Chris, can't find enough info online about the Kodak DX3500...but I'm still looking.

Kt
Konrad___far_north
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks so much, Kt...this compliment goes to my wife.
Konrad
Konrad___far_north
Original Author
16 years ago
>>In the second photo, is that a plum tree, or perhaps an apple tree?>>
These are Evans cherry, [sour cherry] blossoms.

{{gwi:120445}}
kentuck_8b
16 years ago
Thanks Konrad, that would explain the blooms being so close together. Nice photo of the cherries!

Kt

Related Stories

SHOWERS Turn Your Shower Niche Into a Design Star

By Becky Harris

Clear glass surrounds have raised the design bar for details such as shampoo and soap shelves. Here are 4 standouts

HOUZZ TOURS Houzz Tour: Industrial Minihouse in Seattle

An artist transforms a garage into an efficient, open home in 250 square feet in Washington state

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: 20 Coasters From Cool to Classic

Let's toast to chic coasters that save your furniture and express your personal style

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Gardening for the Bees, and Why It’s a Good Thing

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you discover how hard bees work for our food supply, you may never garden without them in mind again

GARDENING GUIDES New Ways to Think About All That Mulch in the Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you go making a mountain out of a mulch hill, learn the facts about what your plants and soil really want

WINTER GARDENING 6 Reasons I’m Not Looking Forward to Spring

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Not kicking up your heels anticipating rushes of spring color and garden catalogs? You’re not alone

MOST POPULAR My Houzz: Open-Air Living in the Mountains of Bali

Community, jaw-dropping beauty and sustainability come together in a tropical paradise for a London expat

MOST POPULAR How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Summer Fruit Flies

By Mitchell Parker

Learn what fruit flies are, how to prevent them and how to get rid of them in your home

EDIBLE GARDENS 12 Essential Herbs for Your Edible Garden

By Annie Thornton

Make home cooking and drinks even better with herbs plucked from your own backyard or windowsill pot

KIDS’ SPACES 15 Ideas for a Children’s Discovery Garden

By Laura Gaskill

Pique curiosity and encourage creativity by adding play features that appeal to kids’ imagination and senses

Sponsored