There are over 200 species of butterflies that can be found in Florida. Here are the ten most common ones: 1. Zebra Longwing Butterfly (Heliconius charithonia) 2. Gulf Fritillary Butterfly (Agraulis vanillae) 3. Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) 4. Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus) 5. Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) 6. […]
Unique Florida
Lake Wales Rails-to-Trails: A Safe Harbor for Invasive Species
The Lake Wales Rails-to-Trails program has missed one of its three most important targets: the removal of invasive, non-native species. The Lake Wales “Rails-to-Trails” program is great in conception. Convert a short section of unused railway into a trail to be used by citizens. The program’s site is in the […]
Johnny Butterflyseed Finds Scrub Plum (Prunus geniculata) Seedling in the Wild
Johnny Butterflyseed has found a Scrub Plum (Prunus geniculata) seedling in the wild, an exceptionally rare occurrence. Scrub Plum seedlings are so rare that determining the causes of their rarity was the central focus of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s recovery plan (USFWS, 1999). In annual censuses of ~900 […]
Swallow-tailed Kites Observed Eating Plant Material
Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) are a migratory raptor who split their time between the southeastern US, and South America. They migrate to the Central Florida area by passing over (or sometimes around) the Gulf of Mexico. In the past, Johnny has been lucky enough to observe a large flock of […]
Johnny Butterflyseed Submits Polk County’s First Scrub Plum Herbarium Specimen in Almost 34 Years
The endangered Scrub Plum (prunus geniculata) is submitted by Johnny Butterflyseed to two Florida herbaria, the first for Polk County in a third of a century.
Endocarp Removal Process for Scrub Plum
Channel Lock pliers make the perfect tool for removing a Scrub Plum’s endocarp.
Flower Fly Nectaring on Dahoon Holly in a Highlands County Florida Baygall
While Johnny was gathering Dahoon Holly (ilex cassine) in a Florida Baygall to give as specimens for the USF Atlas of Florida Plants herbarium, a Flower Fly (Ocyptamus Fascipennis) wandered in for nectar from the Dahoon’s tiny, white flowers. Less than 1cm long (closer to 7mm), he likes to play […]
White-tailed Deer Photographed Consuming Rare Florida Endemic Shrub Fruit, Scrub Plum (prunus geniculata), Captured as Part of Life Study
White-tailed deer likely play a pivotal role in seed dispersal of one of Florida’s endangered shrubs