Restoring Bottomland Prairie, May 2015, Part 1: Checkerspots, Spiders, An Aphid "Ranch," & A Praying Mantis Ootheca (1st of May, 2015)

A Gorgone Checkerspot rests on a seedhead
 from last season's
  Ratibida columnifera (planted in the Riparian Buffer, but not in the Creek Field

 May 1, 2015:  In the Creek Field & the Riparian Buffer the Gorgone Checkerspots (Charidryas gorgone carlota) were out in great numbers.

A Gorgone Checkerspot landed on my hand!

Gorgone Checkerspots lay eggs
on plants in the sunflower family.  This one
is near new Ratibida leaves (in the sunflower family).

They appeared in a mix of old growth
and new.

Checkerspot nectaring on Golden Alexander.
The distinctive orange tip of the antenna is visible.

It's not all sunshine & flowers for butterflies.
This checkerspot has been grabbed by a spider.

An aphid ranch with ants
as the ranchers.    Ants move the aphids
to ever fresher parts of the plant.

That spider better not try to grab these aphids.  The ants will protect the aphids.

A Golden Alexander is their Home on the Range.

The aphids' honeydew is the ants' food.
The ants lay down a chemical "fence"
that keeps the aphids bunched up together.

Two Checkerspots encounter each other on
a Golden Currant bush (planted
in the Riparian Buffer).

Some of the arthropods 
are still in the egg stage.

Also on a Golden Currant is the ootheca (egg mass)
of a praying mantis.