Sex in the afternoon. On the passionflower vine. That's what happened today on the Passiflora (see images below). Coming soon, more Gulf Fritillaries. The Gulf Frit (Agraulis vanillae), an orangish-reddish butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, is as spectacular as it is showy.
When a bee truck overturns, all sorts of things can happen. None of them is good--unless both the people and the bees fare well. Bystanders panic. Bees can and do react to all the commotion by stinging the first responders and the bystanders. It's especially difficult at night.
Hurrah for the Red, White and Blue! Today is Veterans' Day, honoring and celebrating our U.S. military veterans. When I think of Veterans' Day, I think of all my ancestors, from the Revolutionary War on down, who answered our country's call for service.
A mid-life chrysalis? Well, maybe not mid-life, but definitely out of season. A female monarch butterfly eclosed today in our little indoor butterfly habitat. Two weeks ago, we rescued the caterpillar from a narrow-leafed milkweed plant in our Vacaville pollinator garden and brought it inside.
