Butterflies were feasting on the abundance of blooming plants Saturday during the annual El Camino Real chapter Texas Master Naturalist Nature Days.
We did have a nice number of people, but we were overwhelmed by butterflies and bees. I got photos of nine different butterflies and a few more types were seen by members. We saw one emerging from its chrysalis, but most were gorging on the many, many different blooms.
I wasn’t the only photographer. A teenage girl was also taking many photographs. Her younger sister was collecting blooms.
If you’d like to see the many butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and blooms, Nature Days continues Saturday, November 11, from 10 am to noon. It’s located at the Bird and Bee Farm at 1369 County Road 334, Rockdale, TX 76567.
By coincidence, two different groups of El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist members got to witness the lifecycle of the Gulf Fritillary butterfly (Dione vanillae) up close and in person on Saturday, November 4. Here are our stories.
From Carolyn Henderson
Six members of our chapter got to see a Gulf Fritilary emerge from its chrysalis Saturday at the El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist Nature Day aththe Wildscape project.
The chrysalis was on the gate entrance to the Wildscape. Donna Lewis noticed it and Carolyn Henderson took the photos.
Traffic through the gate was heavy, but the butterfly managed to hang on and make its debut. The first photo was right after it got out. It was still wet. The second photo was taken about an hour later. It was still getting its bearings.
From Sue Ann Kendall
Coincidentally, I was camping at Buescher State Park near Smithville/Bastrop this weekend. I had taken many long hikes, led a guided nature walk with a group of people from a church, and made many iNat observations. But my best observation was made less than ten feet from our RV, while relaxing and knitting. Go figure.
My campsite view was of a mixed deciduous forest with a lake behind it. There was a lot of yaupon holly, oaks, hackberries, beautyberries, and cypress. Just a mile or so west start the loblolly pines.
We’re in a very woodsy campsite with lots of birds (very loud pileated woodpeckers for example) and I also enjoyed many butterflies wandering around, like sulphurs and red admirals. But one Gulf Fritillary was extra fun to watch. It spent a LOT of time right in front of me, at first on some straggler daisies (that stuff is EVERYWHERE), but then on a vine that I somehow had overlooked when I was taking note of what plants were growing at the campsite.
I watched as the butterfly kept landing on different parts of the leaves of the vine. I was a little slow that morning and wondered why it was so interesting, since there were no flowers on the vine. It dawned on me that the plant resembled a passion vine.
There’s a clue to the butterfly’s mission in this photo.
After the butterfly left, I went in to get a photo of the plant to identify it on iNat. That’s the photo above. I quickly realized there was more going on. Two caterpillars were munching away at one of the leaves.
Hmmmm.
I rushed back to my chair to investigate. The plant turned out to be the yellow passionvine (Passiflora lutea) that Linda Jo is always looking for on hikes. Hooray! And the caterpillars were Gulf fritillary caterpillars. Suddenly, the butterfly’s mission was clear. She was laying eggs. See the tiny yellow dot in the photo of the passionvine?
So, between Carolyn’s group and me, we’ve pretty much seen the entire lifecycle of the Gulf Fritillary!
Here’s what I learned from Wikipedia, which confirms all the things we’ve sen:
The caterpillar food plants–also called the host plants–for gulf fritillaries are members of the genus Passiflora. The adult butterflies use nectar from many flowers, including Lantana plants. The Passiflora host plants are frequently called passion vines; in some Texan counties where this butterfly’s population is high, gulf fritillaries will feed on specific species such as Passiflora lutea and Passiflora affinis. These passion vine plants are suitable host plants as they provide a good structure for larval host habitats which enables young populations of gulf fritillaries to be sufficiently nurtured and protected. The role of host plants is also integral to the oviposition of gulf fritillaries, as the female butterflies lay their eggs on or near the host plant.[8][9]
By Carolyn Henderson, with additional photos from Catherine Johnson
Sweltering heat couldn’t stop the nine Texas Master Naturalist El Camino Real chapter members from sprucing up the El Camino Real Wildscape at the Bird and Bee Farm and finding a few “treasures” in the process on Saturday, July 15.
Most of us wouldn’t consider a horsefly a treasure, but one did visit Debi Sorenson’s hat.Tropical milkweed
A lot of work was done to clean up the area where meetings are held at the site when large groups come for events. It was hot, but the area is shaded by trees and a nice breeze helped. In the midst of the cleanup, Jackie Thornton found a nice nest of chicken eggs. She took them home (and we didn’t get photos).
SwitchgrassIndian blanket
Phyllis Shuffield found the invasive scourge Vervain growing in a few places in the wildscape. It was not put there intentionally. Phyllis proceeded to remove them all. The wildscape acquired several non-native plants this year. An early one was a red poppy. Maximillian Sunflowers were rampant this year and will require some control measures. Other plants also showed up either by birds, wind or hitching a ride in a plant intentionally purchased and planted.
Flame acanthus
Carolyn Henderson found the Cypress Vine with pretty red flowers over-growing and choking everything in its vicinity. It completely took over the arch which had Malabar Spinach growing all over it. It literally choked that out. It was starting to overtake the Coral Vine growing around the covered picnic table and it was wrapping around the storage building. The local mouse hunter did try to help pull it up or at least push it out of the way.
Turk’s cap, not an invasive plant
It was decided that this vine, a Texas native that is seriously invasive, will require serious efforts to stop. It may overtake everything if not removed.
The invasive cypress vine
The color palette has also changed. The purples had mostly gone to seed, and oranges, yellows and reds have taken over. Three to four types of bees and Gulf Fritillaries were enjoying the blooms.
A carpenter bee on a mint plant
More plans were made for August beautification. Afterward, Catherine Johnson, Patsy Coombs, Neil Wettstein, Debra Sorenson, Pamela Neeley, Sandra Dworaczyk, Jackie and Carolyn recovered from the heat at Corona’s in Rockdale. Here are some photos of the crew.
Kim and I worked at the Wildscape early one morning, but it was not early enough. When we left at 9:30 it was oppressive. We aim to work from 7:00 until 8:30 next time. The humidity is what makes you feel ill.
Texas Kidneywood
Many native wildflowers are in bloom. There are native seeds and plants to give away.
Mexican Hat and Elbow wood
At some point, one of our native plant experts is going to verify which of the Native plants in the Wildscape are native to Milam County. We will try to get some endemic plants in the garden as well.
Mexican Honeysuckle
Pictured are Texas Kidneywood, Mexican Hat and Elbow bush, Mexican Honeysuckle, Wild Bee Balm, Englemann Daisy, Milkweed, and Black Eyed Susan, among others.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 