It definitely wasn't a case of "brotherly love" when a predator--maybe a bird or a praying mantis--grabbed the California Sister in our pollinator garden. The butterfly, Adelpha bredowii californica, didn't survive.
Oh, the patience of a crab spider. It lies in wait on the Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in the hot sun. It scuttles back and forth, extending its legs. It's an ambush predator, ready to inject venom.
When you're in your garden, look up. Sometimes you'll see a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar outlined against the sky, munching away on its host plant, the passionflower vine (Passiflora). The bright orange caterpillars can be as striking as the adults (Agraulis vanillae).
What's the story behind how and why the California dogface butterfly was designated as the state insect 50 years ago? That story will be among the highlights of the Bohart Museum of Entomology open house from 1 to 4 p.m.
