Posts Tagged: Passiflora

The Survivors

Just call them "The Survivors." They made it through the winter: the bitter cold with subfreezing temperatures;  the 54-day drought (will it...

A Gulf Fritillary spotted Feb. 17 near downtown Vacaville, Solano County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Gulf Fritillary spotted Feb. 17 near downtown Vacaville, Solano County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Another Gulf Frit on a passionflower vine on Feb. 17 near downtown Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Another Gulf Frit on a passionflower vine on Feb. 17 near downtown Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary caterpillars on the move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Gulf Fritillary caterpillars on the move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey

A seed pod from a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A seed pod from a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey

Signs of Life on a Passionflower Vine

If you have a passionflower vine (Passiflora), check to see what insects or stages of insects are making this plant their home.  A frost-bitten...

A Gulf Fritillary caterpillar crawling on a stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Gulf Fritillary caterpillar crawling on a stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An empty chrysalis: a Gulf Fritillary butterfly had earlier emerged. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An empty chrysalis: a Gulf Fritillary butterfly had earlier emerged. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A leaffooted bug on the seed pod of a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A leaffooted bug on the seed pod of a passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

We're Not Perfect

We're not perfect. Mother Nature isn't, either. For several weeks, we've been rearing Gulf Fritilliary butterflies (Agraulis vanillae)....

A crippled Gulf Fritillary butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

crippled Gulf Fritillary butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A possible mate checks out the crippled butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A possible mate checks out the crippled butterfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

We placed the crippled Gulf Fritillary on a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

We placed the crippled Gulf Fritillary on a zinnia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Passionate About the Passionflower Vines

Valley carpenter bees are passionate about passionflower vines (Passiflora). You see these black bees foraging on the blossoms. Tiny grains of...

A female Valley carpenter bee is covered with yellow pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female Valley carpenter bee is covered with yellow pollen. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Female Valley carpenter bee on a passionflower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Female Valley carpenter bee on a passionflower blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Terminator

So here you are, a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, chowing down on the leaves of a passionflower vine. Your mother laid an egg, you hatched into a...

A European paper wasp on the hunt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp on the hunt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp attacks a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A European paper wasp attacks a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European paper wasp tears apart the caterpillar, food for its young. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The European paper wasp tears apart the caterpillar, food for its young. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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