Wandering Mestra egg
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Wandering Mestra egg
Although these butterflies are common in south Texas, they appear here every few years when their local hostplant, a species of Tragia, flourishes after a good summer rain. This is a quick stack of an egg at about 10X - I hope to collect some more while the weather is still warm.
Mestra amymone
Mestra amymone
- carlos.uruguay
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- Charles Krebs
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Hello zzffnn,
The adult butterfly in the image is actually nectaring on Gregg's Mistflower, Eupatorium greggii, but the eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves of various Tragia species. These are commonly called Noseburn because of their stinging trichomes, so handle with care! It's a relatively short, small plant that can sprawl on the ground. If you see a group of the butterflies fluttering around an area, you will probably find the plant. I'll post some pictures on here this weekend, but you could google it in the meantime.
David
The adult butterfly in the image is actually nectaring on Gregg's Mistflower, Eupatorium greggii, but the eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves of various Tragia species. These are commonly called Noseburn because of their stinging trichomes, so handle with care! It's a relatively short, small plant that can sprawl on the ground. If you see a group of the butterflies fluttering around an area, you will probably find the plant. I'll post some pictures on here this weekend, but you could google it in the meantime.
David
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