Yesterday I was surprised to see a butterfly new to me in my Garden
It is a Yellow Admiral.(Vanessa itea)
I only saw the first one because I disturbed it from it's resting place on the ceiling of my garage .
I had seen it a few times before but it was gone in a flash and I never dreamt to look up at the ceiling.
This little fellow is much worse for wear the lower part of the wings are gone and the wings are worn and creased. Yellow Admiral's live for several months so are often seen like this battered and worn.
Today as I was making a cuppa and idly looking out of my kitchen window I saw another resting on the flowers of a garlic type of plant .
So the cuppa was quickly discarded in favour of my camera.
Yellow Admiral's lava feed on certain plants from the nettle family and will travel long distances drawn by the scent of this plant to lay their eggs. I can't help but wonder if there is some sort of food source around here for them or have they just been blown here during the storms we have had here lately.
They are strong flyer's and are found here in Australia,New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
Anyhow after consulting with my knowledgable friend Google I found that the plant Baby tears is from the Nettle family . So I took myself off to Bunning's to buy a pot in the hope that the Admirals may lay some eggs and become a familiar and welcome sight and not just pass us by in future.
It is a Yellow Admiral.(Vanessa itea)
I had seen it a few times before but it was gone in a flash and I never dreamt to look up at the ceiling.
This little fellow is much worse for wear the lower part of the wings are gone and the wings are worn and creased. Yellow Admiral's live for several months so are often seen like this battered and worn.
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| View with wings up .Looks a bit like a face on the upper wing . |
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| Resting |
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| This bee wasn't keen on sharing the pollen and kept on attacking the Admiral |
So the cuppa was quickly discarded in favour of my camera.
Yellow Admiral's lava feed on certain plants from the nettle family and will travel long distances drawn by the scent of this plant to lay their eggs. I can't help but wonder if there is some sort of food source around here for them or have they just been blown here during the storms we have had here lately.
They are strong flyer's and are found here in Australia,New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
Anyhow after consulting with my knowledgable friend Google I found that the plant Baby tears is from the Nettle family . So I took myself off to Bunning's to buy a pot in the hope that the Admirals may lay some eggs and become a familiar and welcome sight and not just pass us by in future.
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