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Description
My daughter Amanda and I found a bunch of caterpillars on my sunflowers about a week or so ago...well she collected them up and fed them and she would talk to them. Well she did such a good job that they cocooned and yesterday they emerged We spent the day watching them and 23 of them have emerged so far It was absolutely an amazing thing to watch!! After their wings dried out we took them outside and let them go on the plants we had found them on. I am so tickled that we got to witness their transformation. It was just amazing to see how they emerge and to watch their wings unfurl.
Oh and check it out these guys have a double proboscis I didn't know any butterflies had double proboscises guess these guys aren't fooling around at getting their nectar

I took a total of 485 pics At first I tried using my 18-55mm lens with a +10 macro lens but, I hate how the macro lens only focuses on such a small area...so then I tried using my 70-300mm lens but, there just wasn't enough room to get far enough back to use it plus the lighting just isn't that great in my house. So I said screw it and ended up using the 18-55mm lens without the macro lens and figured I would have to do the dreaded cropping thing for those that know me know I absolutely detest cropping as I suck at it but, I did okay I think with cropping...and I was pleased with the results of using the 18-55mm lens as I got on most of the pics the whole butterflies in focus. Anyways, like I said I took 485 pics and no of course you will not be subjected to them all With these pics here I decided to do a collage of them rather than submit each one individually as this way you can see the process all in one view

Now onto the education section

~chamois-shimi blew me away in my journal by finding out for me what kind of caterpillar/pupa/butterfly it was from just my written description of the caterpillars and pupas ~chamois-shimi provided me with several links of a couple different canidates. Well at first I thought for certain the caterpillars/pupas were Silvery Checkerspots as the caterpillar seemed to match ours as did the pupa But, after they emerged they turned out to be the other kind that ~chamois-shimi had given me a link to a Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix) as you can see if you visit the page the pupas are identical and the caterpillars are almost identical as well.....Anyways, here is some info. for you

Family: Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies

Description: 1 5/8-1 7/8" (35-48 mm). FW black above with white or orange marginal dots, followed by row of white dots, median row of narrow to wide white or orange patches, and occasionally whitish or orange spots at base. HW above similar but middle row usually forms a broad yellow and orange band or patch. Below, FW similar to upperside; HW black with yellowish basal, median, and marginal bands and red band or spot near corner beyond middle yellowish band.

Similar Species: California Patch has orange FW cell below, brighter orange border spots. Janais Patch has red, not orange, patch in HW disk.

Life Cycle: Eggs light green; laid in clusters on many plants of the composite family, especially sunflower (Helianthus annuus), giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), and cowpen daisy (Verbesina encelioides). Young caterpillars feed together, but disperse when overwintering half grown. Older caterpillar black, or orange and black striped, or orange. Chrysalis variable, white with black dots and streaks or nearly solid black.

Flight: Several broods; usually March-November.

Habitat: Subtropical thorn forests, desert hills, weedy edges of agricultural fields, river bottomlands, pinyon pine and oak woodlands, parks and gardens.

Range: SE. California east to Texas and south to Argentina, rarely emigrating north to Utah and Nebraska.

Discussion: The Bordered Patch has been called our most variable butterfly, as well as the most widespread and abundant checkerspot in the Americas. The enormous range of variation in the appearance of early stages and adults makes this species a good subject for genetic research. This is enhanced by its large broods of up to 500 eggs per female and brief generation time of as little as 30 days.

Thank you ~chamois-shimi for your help

Description
My daughter Amanda and I found a bunch of caterpillars on my sunflowers about a week or so ago...well she collected them up and fed them and she would talk to them. Well she did such a good job that they cocooned and yesterday they emerged We spent the day watching them and 23 of them have emerged so far It was absolutely an amazing thing to watch!! After their wings dried out we took them outside and let them go on the plants we had found them on. I am so tickled that we got to witness their transformation. It was just amazing to see how they emerge and to watch their wings unfurl.
Oh and check it out these guys have a double proboscis I didn't know any butterflies had double proboscises guess these guys aren't fooling around at getting their nectar

I took a total of 485 pics At first I tried using my 18-55mm lens with a +10 macro lens but, I hate how the macro lens only focuses on such a small area...so then I tried using my 70-300mm lens but, there just wasn't enough room to get far enough back to use it plus the lighting just isn't that great in my house. So I said screw it and ended up using the 18-55mm lens without the macro lens and figured I would have to do the dreaded cropping thing for those that know me know I absolutely detest cropping as I suck at it but, I did okay I think with cropping...and I was pleased with the results of using the 18-55mm lens as I got on most of the pics the whole butterflies in focus. Anyways, like I said I took 485 pics and no of course you will not be subjected to them all With these pics here I decided to do a collage of them rather than submit each one individually as this way you can see the process all in one view

Now onto the education section

~chamois-shimi blew me away in my journal by finding out for me what kind of caterpillar/pupa/butterfly it was from just my written description of the caterpillars and pupas ~chamois-shimi provided me with several links of a couple different canidates. Well at first I thought for certain the caterpillars/pupas were Silvery Checkerspots as the caterpillar seemed to match ours as did the pupa But, after they emerged they turned out to be the other kind that ~chamois-shimi had given me a link to a Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia adjutrix) as you can see if you visit the page the pupas are identical and the caterpillars are almost identical as well.....Anyways, here is some info. for you

Family: Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies

Description: 1 5/8-1 7/8" (35-48 mm). FW black above with white or orange marginal dots, followed by row of white dots, median row of narrow to wide white or orange patches, and occasionally whitish or orange spots at base. HW above similar but middle row usually forms a broad yellow and orange band or patch. Below, FW similar to upperside; HW black with yellowish basal, median, and marginal bands and red band or spot near corner beyond middle yellowish band.

Similar Species: California Patch has orange FW cell below, brighter orange border spots. Janais Patch has red, not orange, patch in HW disk.

Life Cycle: Eggs light green; laid in clusters on many plants of the composite family, especially sunflower (Helianthus annuus), giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), and cowpen daisy (Verbesina encelioides). Young caterpillars feed together, but disperse when overwintering half grown. Older caterpillar black, or orange and black striped, or orange. Chrysalis variable, white with black dots and streaks or nearly solid black.

Flight: Several broods; usually March-November.

Habitat: Subtropical thorn forests, desert hills, weedy edges of agricultural fields, river bottomlands, pinyon pine and oak woodlands, parks and gardens.

Range: SE. California east to Texas and south to Argentina, rarely emigrating north to Utah and Nebraska.

Discussion: The Bordered Patch has been called our most variable butterfly, as well as the most widespread and abundant checkerspot in the Americas. The enormous range of variation in the appearance of early stages and adults makes this species a good subject for genetic research. This is enhanced by its large broods of up to 500 eggs per female and brief generation time of as little as 30 days.

Thank you ~chamois-shimi for your help