Loving Butterflies, Growing Caterpillars

There is so much hot news in the garden, that all our carefully arranged features have had to take a back seat. We are monitoring the broods of two species: Monarch and Long Tailed Skipper. We have new eggs laid on the purple coneflower leaves by the delightful Silvery Checkerspot. And two other couples, one being Spicebush Swallowtails, the other being the ubiquitous Silver Spotted Skippers, appear to be wanting to get in on the egg laying business themselves. 
​First an update on the Monarchs.  Our first hatchling, nicknamed George, turned three days old today, a growing first instar beginning to get his stripes.  

These tiny creatures are very difficult to find, and one doesn't want to risk poking around under leaves with one's hands. But some random shooting under plants found at least one and possible two other Monarch caterpillars. The better photo, taken July 31st,  is below. 

Catching the Silvery Checkerspot in the act of laying her eggs was pure luck. Rick always loves photographing them on the sunflowers, and he happened to see one fluttering randomly among the lower leaves of the coneflower, in a haphazard way, reminiscent of the Monarch among the milkweed. Then she settled upside down under one low leaf and stayed there a while. "Stephanie," Rick called, "What are the host plants for the checkerspot?'

Turned out coneflower is on the list, and the next day, the 31st again,  Rick checked and was happy to see four little eggs under the leaf. 

Back on the panicledleaf ticktrefoil, the Long Tailed Skipper caterpillars were progressing in their leaf-cutting and architectural feats turning their leaves into little shelters as well as sources of food. Once we learned what to look for, we also realized that there were numerous caterpillars at work throughout the side garden. We found a plant with a multiple dwelling setup, below. 

We happened to catch one of the little caterpillars out on his leaf, below, but mostly they stay out of sight during the day. And in the second picture below, there was one caterpillar that was already building his leaf roll. We were able to peek in and see him within. Later, the caterpillars will pupate in a similar roll, constructed with bluish silk threads. 

Butterfly romance is not loaded with chivalry and courtship, at least as far as we have seen. Take the Spicebush Swallowtails. She was quietly sipping the zinnias when suddenly a very insistent male was hovering and flapping right behind her. Bobbing and weaving, he simply would not leave her alone. She really just wanted to finish her lunch, it seemed. 

He wouldn't make her interrupt her feeding, but as soon as she moved away, he tried to knock her down into a ditch. She escaped and went back to feeding on another flower. Once again, he wouldn't interrupt, but he wouldn't stop being a nuisance either. 

Finally, instinct took her over as well, and they engaged in aerial ballet before finding shelter under a leaf. 

Meanwhile, the Silver Spotted Skippers went through a similar courtship, but being more middle class butterflies they went through the same sort of courtship but without ballet tickets. 

Unlike the whirlwind activities of the Swallowtails, the Skippers did appear to have a little together time, below, in the Penta before getting back to regular butterfly life.