OMG - Another one!

We didn't intend to go back to Sophie's Patch today - but we both felt it would be worth another trip despite the heat.

And so it was.

This is a Meadow Argus (Junonia villida calybe) (surely I'm going to run out of butterflies very very soon). I remember Sophie saying on one of her TV segments that she had planted something to attract this very beautiful butterfly, and I was able to tell that it worked! She was thrilled to bits.

What a nice girl Sophie is - very knowledgeable about all things gardening, especially in a hot dry climate like ours, and not a bit shy about giving as much free advice as anyone wanted. So friendly.


As always, here's the info:

The Meadow Argus is a common butterfly that occurs throughout the Adelaide region. Unfortunately, some of its caterpillar food plants are weeds and not desirable in the home garden. Keen gardeners could try some of the native caterpillar food plants listed here. Because its weedy food plants are so widespread and the butterfly is a strong flier that travels widely, even if you don’t succeed in establishing a breeding colony of Argus butterflies, you should still have them as regular visitors to your nectar plants.

Caterpillar food plants: Native herbaceous plants and many invasive weeds. The caterpillars eat the soft parts of the plants.

Adelaide native species: Common Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), Fairy fan-flower (Scaevola aemula).
Other South Australian species: Spreading Nut-heads (Epaltes australis), Goodenia spp., Fan-flowers (Scaevola spp.), Bluerod (Stemodia florulenta).

Foreign species: Snapdragons and weeds— Centaury, Lippia*, Ribwort* Plantago lanceolata), Scabious*, Common Verbena (Verbena officinalis)
and many others.

The local representative of a worldwide group of species, this butterfly has exaggerated ‘eyespot’ patterns on its wings.