The Empty Shell on the Leaves
06 October 2009
Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Quogue, NY

This morning I came across this image of a butterfly that I photographed at Green Spring Gardens and have just identified it as a Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), from the family of Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae). The caterpillar host plants are snapdragon, toadflax, figwort, monkey flower, plantain, tickseed, butterfly bush and water speedwell. Adults prefer nectar from plants such as aster, chickory, tickseed, coreopsis, butterfly bush and peppermint. Adults live for about ten days.

The website www.butterfliesandmoths.org aided me in identifying this “flying flower.”

This link here contains photos that chronicle the metamorphosis of the Common Buckeye Butterfly from caterpillar to chrysalis to adult (and includes shots of some unfortunate subjects serving as lunch for other insects!). One photo shows a tattered butterfly and states that such specimens “are able to fly and function normally with up to 2/3 of their wings missing.” I’ve often wondered how they fared with their wings in such bad shape. Then again, when you only live 10 days, you don’t have much time to worry about such things!

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

(Sequel to the Asteroid Wars Series)

Ben Bova is the author of many realistic science fiction novels set within the Solar System. He devoted several volumes to The Asteroid Belt and the war which broke out between companies wanting to gain control of the resources out there. The action in this book takes place after the wars are over, and follows up on the destruction of the habitat Chrysalis, in orbit around Ceres.

A spaceship, the ore carrier Syracuse is coming in to dock when Chrysalis is attacked. Piloted by Victor Zacharias; and with his wife Pauline and two children Angie and Theo aboard, Syracuse comes under attack. Victor dumps his load to put his attacker off, but realises that a slow ore carrier cannot outrun the attacking ship, so he separates the command pod of Syracuse from the rest of the ship to draw the attacker off.

Pauline and her teenage children feel abandoned, but set to work bringing the backup command pod online. Unfortunately, the attack has left them low on fuel and with no working communications, so they drift through space until their trajectory brings them back towards civilisation, a journey which takes several years.

Meanwhile, Victor has managed to send out a distress call which is picked up on Earth by someone monitoring for intelligent life beyond the Solar System. It is a disappointment to them when they realise the pulse they are receiving comes from much nearer to home, but is a great relief to Victor, who is rescued before he starves or his air runs out.

The story follows both Victor’s travels as he seeks his wife and children; and life aboard Syracuse as Zach desperately studies and tries to shorten the time until Syracuse will return to the Asteroid Belt.

We also revisit the Alien artefact which made an appearance in the final volume of the Asteroid Wars Series. It has a bearing upon the story, as it can change the course of some peoples’ lives, and has in fact turned the attacker of Chrysalis into the priest Dorn who is scouring the solar system for drifting bodies and giving them funeral rites.

Dorn, the priest with the past, is woven into this tale with Ben Bova’s usual skill, and once again he’s come up with a satisfying and believable read.

CAWG is proud to have created & printed Greek leaflets that societies in Greece can use for two different age groups, promoting respect for all living beings and the environment!

The leaflets can be used alongside school presentations or distributed at events!

They cover farm, wild and companion animal issues through activities for ages 6-9yrs and a story for ages 10-12yrs. Both include safety and dog body language to help maintain a good relationship between humans and animals!

Greek societies interested in these leaflets can contact us via email.

As many cases of poisoning in Malia have been brought to our attention over the last few weeks we deceided to notify the citizens once again that poisoning is inhumane, dangerous and illegal!

Inhumane as an animal will suffer terribly, which could last up to hours before dying!

Dangerous for all living creatures, including owned pets and children!

Illegal under law no. 1197/1981 (art.8) and law no. 3170/2003 (art.12): Ányone that kills, abuses or abandons animals will be punished with up to a 6 month prison sentence and/or a fine ranging from 300 to 1500 Euro.

CAWG added some text on a couple of posters to inform citizens that cats in that area with a ‘cut’ ear have been neutered.

It might sound harsh, but it  feels as an even bigger loss when a neutered cat has been a victim of poisoning as a caring owner, fosterer or animal welfare organisation like CAWG has spent time and money on providing a better life and future for this particular individual as well as for its environment and a cruel act like poisoning has made that effort worthless…

Anti-poisonig posters have been kindly provided by the Greek Animal Welfare Fund

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Pune

B U Bhandar brings new project Chrrysalis at Wagholi in Pune. Escape from all the noise and pollution of the urban jungle, and experience bountiful living at its fullest. Chrysalis villas offer the perfect destination for a luxurious rendezvous with nature, a place where you can rest and refresh yourself. A home that’s also your getaway Life’s perfect.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Location:

B U Bhandari Chrrysalis is located at Wagholi in Pune.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Amenities:

Swimming Pool and Kid’s Pool, Children’s Play Area, Landscape Garden, Party Lawn, Walking Track, Gymnasium, Club House, Indoor Games, Broadband Connectivity, Video Door Phone, Intercom Facility, Panic Alarm Facility, Generator Backup for Common Areas, Piped Gas System, Solar Water Heating System.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Option:

Type—————-Size (Sq. ft.)—————–Price(INR)

3BR-3T—————1975———————-49,37,500

About Developer:

B U Bhandari is one of the old and established business houses in Pune. For the last eight decades it has been engaged in multifarious activities. The group was founded in 1920 by late Shri Uttamchand Tulsiramji Bhandari, who stated trading in grains. Over a period of time, late Shri B U Bhandari and family expanded and diversified into sugar trading, distribution of oils, kerosene, petrol pumps, construction, developing real estates, automobile dealership, etc. our strength lies in our belief in business ethics.

Contact: 9999998663

allcheckdeals.com (A naukri.com Venture)

IInd floor, Gera Sterling, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune.

+ 1860 500 5559 (INDIA) +1 646 367 2921(USA), +44 208 819 3959 (UK)

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Pune

B U Bhandar brings new project Chrrysalis at Wagholi in Pune. Escape from all the noise and pollution of the urban jungle, and experience bountiful living at its fullest. Chrysalis villas offer the perfect destination for a luxurious rendezvous with nature, a place where you can rest and refresh yourself. A home that’s also your getaway Life’s perfect.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Location:

B U Bhandari Chrrysalis is located at Wagholi in Pune.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Amenities:

Swimming Pool and Kid’s Pool, Children’s Play Area, Landscape Garden, Party Lawn, Walking Track, Gymnasium, Club House, Indoor Games, Broadband Connectivity, Video Door Phone, Intercom Facility, Panic Alarm Facility, Generator Backup for Common Areas, Piped Gas System, Solar Water Heating System.

BU Bhandari Chrrysalis Option:

Type—————-Size (Sq. ft.)—————–Price(INR)

3BR-3T—————1975———————-49,37,500

About Developer:

B U Bhandari is one of the old and established business houses in Pune. For the last eight decades it has been engaged in multifarious activities. The group was founded in 1920 by late Shri Uttamchand Tulsiramji Bhandari, who stated trading in grains. Over a period of time, late Shri B U Bhandari and family expanded and diversified into sugar trading, distribution of oils, kerosene, petrol pumps, construction, developing real estates, automobile dealership, etc. our strength lies in our belief in business ethics.

Contact: 9999998663

allcheckdeals.com (A naukri.com Venture)

IInd floor, Gera Sterling, North Main Road, Koregaon Park, Pune.

+ 1860 500 5559 (INDIA) +1 646 367 2921(USA), +44 208 819 3959 (UK)

Although not strictly forensic science, these Monarch butterfly caterpillars preparing for life as a butterfly are just too good to ignore. It fascinates me how they manage to produce gold decorations – I can only assume they extract the gold from the plant? Is it even gold?  (Apologies for the red date stamp).

There are three chrysalides in the first photo, relatively easy to see.

There are seven hiding in the middle photo – can you spot them all?!

The last photo is  slightly out of focus but it’s neat to see the before and after stages so close to one another. I just hope some of the dozen or so chrysalides littering the plant and proximally located potato plants actually survive. Last year we had 100% failure rate.

With many Cretan societies and one from Serres attending, the GAWF workshop was a great success!

Topics such as Fundraising and Humane Education were covered and delegates took part in activities such as creating a campaign plan and budget as well as conducting a successful media interview.

Thank you to GAWF for organising this,

WSPA for covering the costs and

the Marin Hotel in Heraklion for their warm hospitality.

Furthermore, we are happy to announce that our very own volunteer, Kerenza, was also presenting at the workshop and provided us with positive feedback!

So spake the wise man in his mind,
where he sat apart in counsel.
Good is he who keeps his faith,
And a warrior must never speak
his grief of his breast too quickly,
unless he already knows the remedy-
a hero must act with courage.
It is better for the one that seeks mercy,
consolation from the Father in the heavens,
where, for us, all permanence rests.

~excerpt from The Wanderer

Have you ever asked yourself what all you have accomplished?  Are you accomplished in anything?  Have you ever done anything that you feel good about? 

These questions are difficult for me to answer.  Often times, I feel like I fail at many things, though I give everything all I have.  Am I too critical?  I have been told that I have the worst self-esteem of anyone.  Would that be my accomplishment?  That I have accomplished a low self-esteem?

Hmmm…

Back in the spring of 2008, my son and I visited a butterfly farm and purchased a caterpillar to raise into a Monarch butterfly.  It was an amazing process to witness.  I photographed every stage from the larva eating milkweed, to forming the chrysalis, and finally ”her” emergence, which I also video taped.  I definitely felt that I had accomplished something that day.

Having a child and raising him has given me a sense of accomplishment, but it requires much more involvement.  One thing has been for certain, I haven’t been able to just sit and photograph him growing and maturing into a young person…who will later become a man.  Yes, a man!  Someone recently told me that I was raising a man. YIKES! 

Raising the Monarch was much easier and quicker.

Here are the highlights of our Monarch’s metamorphosis.

Tell the world today that Animals Matter to you http://www.animalsmatter.org WSPA, alongside key governments supporting the development of a Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (UDAW), hosted a series of meetings at the United Nations during World Animal Week 2009 (4th-10th October).

As we arrived home from walking the dog this morning, we noticed a oddly shaped and very colorful object stuck to the side of a planter in the front yard. We moved in for a closer look and discovered a butterfly had just emerged from its chrysalis. I couldn’t decide if I was more intrigued by the butterfly of the remains of its shell. Both were quite beautiful and I was taken by how crisp and vibrant the colors were on the newly born butterfly. The chrysalis itself was amazingly delicate and detailed – paper thin and translucent with some surprising markings on the surface. I figured this was something worth sharing so here are some photos of the new butterfly and her former home. Just reminds you that there really is beauty everywhere if you take the time to look…

Mary Beth: Is there anything more amazing than a butterfly, especially a monarch? From its very beginning as a tiny larva, to the chrysalis, to the magnificent winged creature migrating thousands of miles to begin the cycle anew, there isn’t a moment of its life cycle that isn’t breathtakingly beautiful.

Swamp Milkweed grows wild on the back slope of my garden and for the past three years I’ve been encouraging it to expand. It provides food for my honeybees and for the monarch butterflies that call Block Island home. Both of them love it and, although it threatens to take over the back half of my garden, I’ll keep letting it seed itself because it is a valuable food source for these pollinators (monarchs are second only to bees in that category) and a critical link in the life cycle of the monarch.

Milkweed blossoms in early July

So I provide food and water for the butterflies, and they give back endless hours of fascination and joy — there’s nothing that lifts my heart more than company of the monarchs as I work in my garden.

In a good butterfly year, the elm trees that separate the garden from the rest of the property will be draped in monarchs, though we haven’t seen this phenomenon for some years now. Wondering why they always come back to that spot, I did a little research and found out that some scientists have speculated that the monarchs might leave a scent on the trees that attracts the next generation.

All summer I watched for signs of the monarchs. First there were the little larvae.

Then they fattened up and became plump caterpillars hungrily munching great chunks of milkweed. (Honestly, between watching the bees and the butterflies, it’s amazing I got any work done.)

Hungry caterpillars

Soon milkweed city grew quiet and I started to search for the chrysalis. And I searched and searched. I’d almost given up on that mid-September day when I was sitting in the garden eating grapes. Suddenly a small green capsule caught my eye.

The chrysalis was hard to spot

I kept a close watch on the chrysalis for the next couple of weeks.

Almost ready to hatch

Gradually it turned dark and I could more clearly see the butterfly folded up inside. I knew it would hatch very soon, so I made sure I always had my camera with me at all times so I wouldn’t miss the big event.

The next day the sky opened up. As it had all summer, it rained buckets.  Suddenly, in between downpours, the sun burst through the clouds. I grabbed my camera and ran for the garden. Surely the butterfly wouldn’t hatch in this foul weather.

Minus its inhabitant, but still beautiful

The female monarch — newly hatched and drying her wings

A magnificent creature — her wing webbing is thicker and she lacks the black spot on each of her hind wings that mark the male butterfly

I missed the hatching, but got beautiful pictures of the minutes-old butterfly. This gorgeous creature, the fourth and longest-lived generation of this season’s monarchs, is on her way to Mexico now. She’ll spend the winter there, reproduce, and finally die.

Soon she'll be off on her long journey

Vaya con Dios little butterfly. Send your babies back to my garden!

P.S. See our Resources page for links to lots of monarch butterfly information, including how you can make your garden more monarch-friendly.

Remember my little critter friends?

I thought I’d give you an update.

First, though, I wanted you to see what the little boogers did to my Milkweed plant:

They pretty much stripped it of all the leaves….  They left little toppers of small leaves, but that’s about it.

I’ve got to get out there with the clippers and trim back the spindly stems.  It’s looking a little pitiful.

But, it was worth the sacrifice of my plant for this:

The chrysalis. 

The one above is not quite ready.  That Monach butterfly is still going through metamorphosis.

This one, though, is just about ready!

According to Wikipedia:  “In the pupa or chrysalis stage, the caterpillar spins a silk pad on a twig, leaf, etc., and hangs from this pad by its last pair of prolegs. It hangs upside down in the shape of a ‘J’, and then molts, leaving itself encased in an articulated green exoskeleton. At this point, hormonal changes occur, leading to the development of a butterfly (metamorphosis). The chrysalis darkens (actually becomes transparent) a day before it emerges, and its orange and black wings can be seen.”

That’s where we are with the above butterfly!!  I’m so excited!

Tomorrow, though, we are expecting rain, which really concerns me.  I know that Monarchs have been doing this on their own for…well, forever.  But, I’m so worried this little guy will be trying to dry out his brand new wings during the rain and cold front…. 

I’ve already set out the umbrella, just in case he needs some protection from the elements. 

And, I’ll have my camera ready, too, come rain or shine.

Have a happy day,

E.

Dear friends

The 2009 World Animal Day celebration on 10^th October was a huge success with a turnout well over and above our expectations. And it would not have been such a success without your significant help and contribution.

A massive thank you for all your hard work and support. It has helped to generate a lot of good-will and funds that will help us to continue working towards improving the welfare of animals on Crete.

With the very best wishes,

Kerenza, Marcel and everyone at the CAWG

“Working towards a better future for animals on Crete and beyond.”
www.CretanAnimalWelfare.org

Face Painting… a huge attraction!

Drawing Competition…