Something that has given me much joy in the past year is gulf fritillaries. I let some volunteer passion flower vines that had shown up in my yard take over the front of the house on both sides when I learned that they are what gulf fritillary caterpillars eat.
I have enjoyed many moments this year inspecting their little rumpled-leaf cocoons, watching their science fiction-y caterpillars crawl about and, most of all, watching the gulf fritllatries flying about my yard and lighting to fan their wings on the vines and on our lime tree, which they also seem to like when they are in butterfly form. I have self-desginated my house to be a gulf frittillary reserve and plan to keep it that way.
After the hurricane, though, I could not find any more butterflies, No rumpled-leaf cocoons. No weird caterpillars. I thought they had all died.
But....one is back this week! Maybe two! I am so glad! I am hoping they will fill my yard with orange tapestries of flight again soon!
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