Stalking Leafwing Butterflies in Everglades National Park

I was lucky enough to find two leafwing butterflies on my trip to Everglades National Park.  Both were males perching in a small hammock.  I waved a small orange survey flag in their general direction and each came flying out and aggressively went after the flag thinking it was a female!

This butterfly is nearly extinct and is now only known to occur in Everglades National Park.

 This metallic-looking bee was sleeping on a thistle flower late in the day.  Not a very soft bed!

Dr. Peter May at Stetson University identified this bee as an Osmia species.  He noted that he sees them in the springtime on thistle flowers.

 Roger Hammer showed me this spectacular cowhorn orchid, and said to come back in April to see it flowering.  There were hundreds of flowers on it.  This is a rare native orchid.

 Late in the day the Pygmy Blues were sunning with their wings open.

Liguus tree snails are disappearing from south Florida but are still locally common here in Everglades National Park.  This one is mixed up because it is displaying several different forms on the same shell.  In the past in each hammock the snails had their own special pattern and color form, although they were the same species.  People moved them around and would even destroy entire population so they would have unique specimens in their collection.  Now it's not uncommon to see hybrid forms like this one.

Nature Photos from the Yard

The cross vine is still blooming.  Ours has climbed all the way to the top of our red oak tree fifty feet or so.  I only see the fallen flowers on the ground.  The rest will have to be enjoyed by the birds.  Hummingbirds should like these!

The grand kids, Rose and Mirin, found this unusual caterpillar that looks like lichens.  It's the Ilia Underwing moth.  It eats only oaks.  The caterpillar rests on oak bark around patches of lichens when not feeding on the leaves.  The kids were impressed by it's distinctive purple belly.

The Calycanthus floridus, or sweetshrub (not a typo - there really is no space) started flowering last week.  It has a strong, spicy fragrance. 

Beetles in the Everglades

 

Last week I was in Everglades National Park looking for the Florida Leafwing butterfly.  I also found a bunch of interesting beetles, such as this pair of soldier beetles in a salt marsh on salt wort.

 I've seen this beautiful Clerid or Checkered beetle on thistle flowers here before, but this one on Coreopsis struck a beautiful pose.

This mating pair of Cerambycid or longhorn beetles didn't seem to mind me taking a photo.  If anyone knows the specific name of these, I'd like to hear from you.

 

Owl flies are so unusual.  They have butterfly-like antennae and the body of a damselfly or a dragonfly.  However, they are actually related to antlions.  They are predatory.

Fairchild Tropical Garden Spring Festival

 Fairchild Tropical Garden has a wonderful butterfly conservatory featuring butterflies throughout the world, but the garden itself has many wild butterflies of interest, including this Atala caterpillar on Zamia.

 It is also one of the best places to see the Atala butterfly.  Here's an adult feeding on saw palmetto flowers, one of their favorite plants.  The Atala is an imperiled species and one of our most beautiful butterflies.

There are a number of unusual exotic lizards living here, including the Red Agama.  They are strikingly big but shy.  They were fairly common there, and grew to be about ten inches long.

Cuba Nature Trip

  Cuba Nature Trip

June 7-13, 2014 (7 days, 6 nights)

Pinar del Rio, Vinales Valley, Zapata Swamp, Cienfuegos, Havana  

I will be leading a week-long nature-immersion trip to Cuba June 7-13, 2014.  We will visit Pinar del Rio, Vinales Valley, Zapata Swamp, Cienfuegos, and Havana.  The trip is through a nonprofit humanitarian exchange program, a “People to People” exchange of culture and environment.  Attached is a poster with further information on the amenities and itinerary.  

Price:  $2999.00 per person double occupancy (limited to 28 participants)- Not included: some meals, personal tips, Cuba departure tax of $30.00 & baggage fees charged in Miami.

 (Add $250.00 for single supplemental) **limited rooms available**

******Trip cancellation/interruption insurance is available upon request only thru our representative.*******

 For more information, click here.

Big Cypress

 The Oasis visitor center at Big Cypress has some incredible wildlife, such as this ten foot alligator.  I stopped there recently on my way to Miami for the Fairchild Tropical Garden spring festival. 

 Here's the post office in Ochopee.  It's supposed to be the smallest active post office in the United States.

About the only other thing in Ochopee, Florida is Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe, which specializes in cold beer, but I've never seen this place open for business.

Nature Photo

This is a Bird's Nest Fungus found growing in our yard.  It is so aptly named, as it looks so much like nests of eggs, or perhaps baskets of silver coins.  The spore sacks get splashed out of the nests with rain and often stick to things.  Some people complain.