Painted Lady, Plain Jane and a Small Green Bug
11 July
The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is one the most widespread butterfly species on the planet, though so far yet to make its way into South America. Larvae feed on various Aster species … plenty of those around here. They are a highly migratory species, movements being triggered, it is thought, by atmospheric/climate effects but once started they can go thousands of kilometres, sometimes taking several generations to complete the trip.
Plain Plume Moth
A bonus today … a pair of these caught our eye in passing, only a phone was available for the photo, apologies for the fuzziness.
Four-lined Plant Bug
The Four-lined Plant Bug (Poecilocapsus lineatus) illustrated here was, with a friend, wandering across a leaf on a huge magnolia tree. Quite small and a very bright green. They can be found on many species but have a strong liking for mints and various compositae so why it was on the magnolia I cannot say. Considered to be a minor pest, since it occasionally does damage to herbaceous plants, especially mints, and rarely to woody shrubs or small trees, including forsythia, dogwood, wild hydrangea, and sumac. The species damages plants during the late spring to early summer, with the nymphs causing the majority of plant damage as they feed and develop. A real bug.
apologies for the quality of the photo, macro pictures and my phone don’t go together that well.
Very helpful to have photos of the species you've identified – plants, bugs, birds, or anything else that still lives in our neck of the woods. The explanations you provide save tons of time and uncertainty in looking online, and are a real treat in that your commentary is relevant to our locality, and authentic. Merci beaucoup!