zebra longwing

[Kathleen Moon]

Semjase wrote:
> 
> >Subject: Re: zebra longwing
> >From: viceroy at GATE.NET (Anne Kilmer)
> >Date: 4/19/99 7:00 PM Pacific Daylight Time
> >Message-id: <371BDC95.B658820B at gate.net>
> >
> >My bet is that these bugs were released in California. We have plenty of
> >them where I am; they chain to sleep outside my bedroom window
> >sometimes.
> >They are easily raised in captivity.
> >When a butterfly is easy to buy,and host plants are easily found and
> >grown, the conclusion is predictable.
> >Logic does require a third inclusive premise ... perhaps that people
> >love to grow and release beautiful butterflies.
> > Since you ask.
> >Anne Kilmer
> 
> Perhaps this may also explain them being seen more in the San Diego
> microcimates than the harsher areas further north?

There are several species that make it this far north (or northwest, as
the case may be) such as the the ello sphinx and a couple others in the
same genus.  Any farther and they get frozen during the first storm to
come aloing.  Talk about cold sanps, that is apparently what has done in
the gulf fritillary around here: our passionvine is frozen back, and
their is a long crack down one of the larger branches off the trunk.

PS: While I realize this is not the right terminology, the thing does
rise from the ground a good solid inch and a half thick, going all the
way to the top of the fence (six feet) before branching out.

Pierre Plauzoles
ae779 at lafn.org
(using my wife's Internet access due to technical difficulties with my
own)