Although I planned to drop in at South Coast Botanic Garden's SOAR exhibit once more before it closes, I hadn't expected to do that again in May. However, I bowed out of other plans with a friend as I've continued to feel crummy. She wanted to stop by prior to my birthday anyway so I booked tickets to the butterfly exhibit, which is about five miles from my home.
It was sunnier than it'd been at the time of my earlier visit and the butterflies were much more active. The butterfly pavilion was also a lot more crowded with people. I attempted a few videos but they were horrid, even after editing; however, my friend sent me one of hers. The large Blue Morpho (Morpho plieides) were the primary focus.
Here's a closeup of a Morpho for reference:
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| This one settled on the pavilion's information desk, where its beauty could be easily admired |
The majority of my photos captured butterflies I photographed earlier in the month but there were several new ones. SCBG gets new deliveries of butterfly chrysalises every week. These hatch on their own schedules and are released into the pavilion when they're flight-ready.
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| This is a Giant Owl butterfly (Caligo telamonius memnon) with wings closed and open. I think this was the first time I've seen one with its wings open. |
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| I spotted this female Grecian Shoemaker (Catonephele numilia) on a child's cap. The female and male members of the species look nothing alike. |
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| This Julia butterfly (Dryas iulia) blended in with the flowers it sipped from almost perfectly |
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| This is a Gray Cracker (Hamadryas februa) |
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| I featured a Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades) with its wings closed in my prior post. This one feeding from a Cosmos had its wings wide open. |
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| The green and brown Malachite butterfly (Siproeta stelenes) is one of my personal favorites |
I noticed something that raised alarm bells during my visits to the exhibit this year. On both occasions, a large number of the small children inside the pavilion had negative reactions to the butterflies when they fluttered by. Some screeched (not in a happy way) while others moved away or sought protection from an adult. I know that much of Los Angeles County is an asphalt jungle and fewer children have close interactions with wildlife of any kind here but this disturbed me. Butterflies are, almost by definition, magical creatures and I'd expect children to gravitate toward them rather than be repelled. If there are children in your household or elsewhere in your family or neighborhood, please invite them into your gardens if butterflies are present. And, if there are exhibits like this one near by, take them if you can - or encourage local schools to do so. I don't want to imagine a future generation that fears the most beautiful things nature has to offer.
I've yet to see any native butterflies in my own garden yet this year. Hopefully, they're just waiting for warmer temperatures.
All material © 2012-2023 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
I volunteer at a high school in their horticultural program, and have given up having the kids work with the plants in the garden, because the vast majority absolutely panic if a bee comes near them. At first, I thought they were faking it to get out of deadheading and weeding, but realized after a while they really are afraid. They aren't even allergic, just afraid. I brought a male valley carpenter bee (known as golden teddy bears due to their coloring and hairiness) into the horticultural class to show the teacher, and he managed to drop the container and release the bee in class. I immediately told the kids it's a male and does not have a stinger, but they STILL all panicked and rushed out of the class screaming.Oh, and this is a school in a farming community will a very active agricultural science department, and even the farm kids are like this. I don't know what happened that the kids are like this. I've been volunteering for 12 years now, and it's been this way the whole time, sheesh. Sue
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as though you went above and beyond in your effort to educate the kids, Sue. When I was conducting tours as a garden docent (pre-pandemic) I saw that kind of anxiety around bees in small kids but I'm astounded that you've seen it in high school kids too. It sounds like schools, botanic gardens - and parents - need to help children with a well-rounded introduction to nature, from plants, to bugs, and wild animals. It appears that there are lots of books out there for children on bees (and butterflies) but it appears they need more visibility!
DeleteThey are spectacular. I was excited to see the first butterfly yesterday. It was the standard yellow and black one that we always see. I saw a Painted Lady the first summer I moved here but haven't seen any since. :(
ReplyDeleteIt seems we should be seeing butterflies here by now too, Phillip. I want to blame the cooler temperatures for the delay as the possibility that their numbers are plummeting is too distressing.
DeleteMagnificent creatures, aren't they? I particularly liked the photo of the Julia butterfly, so perfectly camouflage... I'm amazed you spotted it.
ReplyDeleteChavli
I admit I was amazed by just how well that Julia butterfly blended in with the flowers it chose to feed from, Chavli. Based on other sightings within the pavilion, it appeared their choice was deliberate.
DeleteI save swallowtail caterpillars throughout the summer. If I don't bring them in to safety after hatching, and even before hatching the ladybugs will eat the eggs, none will make it to adulthood. I think this is because my birdfeeder is very close to the fennel they use as a host plant. I think the smaller birds snatch them for a meal. It is one of my joys to have them spread their wings on the porch and fly away.
ReplyDeleteHelping out the swallowtails by providing a measure of protection is a wonderful gesture!
DeleteI'm afraid it's not just butterflies and bees, it's just about everything or nothing at all. It's an attention seeking phenomena that I first became very aware of around 2010. Go to a park or a playground, sit on a bench and observe, you'll see (and hear). I've discussed this with several people, I have looked for child-psych studies to no avail. Not yet anyway. I suspect it's a lack of engagement from parents in labeling and validating emotions and following through by teaching coping skills from toddler through early adolescence. Heck, it's worked its way up to people in Congress.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should pursue a psych degree yourself. If you could accumulate data to support your observations, it sounds like it could make a great master's degree thesis.
DeleteScared of butterflies--pretty sad.
ReplyDeleteWonderful butterflies--enjoyed seeing the photos, thank you. The blue one especially--what a color!
Here we've had a few--swallowtails, painted ladies, sulfurs, and of course cabbage whites.
Even if a person (of whatever age) had no prior acquaintance with a butterfly, I can't understand backing away from something so pretty while it gently flutters about. Kids seem to be attracted to everything from purple dinosaurs to spidermen!
DeleteI haven't even noticed any cabbage whites, HB. The painted ladies would normally have shown up by now. The sulfurs usually show up later in the season here, when the Senna shrubs are budding out.
I'm surprised at the butterflies scaring the kids. Then again, I was shocked to find out an adult friend of mine was very afraid of birds. We've had several swallowtails fluttering around the garden so far. I haven't seen the gulf fritillary yet - but my passionflower is waiting to be feasted on.
ReplyDeleteYikes. As we ask people to care more - and do more - about heading off the tolls industrialization and human behavior have taken on the environment, we need people to understand and appreciate what we have to lose if action isn't taken. I've got to wonder if the next generation (and maybe their parents too!) will be prepared to act responsibly if they're wholly disconnected from nature.
DeleteWow, that Grey Cracker! I've seen swallowtails twice in the past few weeks. I saw them fly right past me, past all the flowers in bloom, and right over the fence and away. Also cabbage whites and skippers, maybe Woodland.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing much better than I am in the butterfly department, Lisa!
DeleteSwallowtails just appeared this week up here in Oregon. Skippers have been around for a while. I keep skimming articles showing how each successive generation spends less time outdoors. It’s depressing. I took some plant specimens to a high school horticulture class to demonstrate how to diagnose insect and disease issues and several students were quite icked out by the thought of insects. What made me happy, though, was that such a program exists. Some of those students are truly passionate about plants!
ReplyDeleteI haven's even seen skippers here yet, Jerry. I need to get some Zinnia seeds planted as those flowers are the most reliable draw for butterflies here. I hope other high schools follow the lead of the one you mention - kids of all ages could use more exposure to plants and the everything else nature has to offer.
DeleteI love blue morphos, so pretty. It is hopefully not a trend that kids are no longer intrigued by butterflies, that would be terrible (for them and the world).
ReplyDeleteButterflies are starting to hatch out here... I've seen yellow and black swallowtails, painted lady, hairstreaks, azures, white cabbage and my first skipper today. My meadow and gardens are coming on strong, the buffet is laid!
The above is from Eliza ;)
DeleteI'm starting to get nervous about seeing no butterflies here, Eliza. It's still cooler than usual but, by comparison to other parts of the country, not that cold! Of course, I suppose that the butterflies that travel here are used to warmer conditions ;)
DeleteIn that case I am lucky to see kids enjoying and engaging with nature. Either virtual on iNat (I'm in high school ...) or the school classes at Kirstenbosch - with big grins on their little faces.
ReplyDeleteI wish I'd seen more of those big smiles on children's faces in response to interactions with nature here, Diana. Hopefully, the new children's garden they plant to open in 2024 will make a difference.
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