Hurricane Florence at beach and Juno Pier, September 14, 2018

The Queens are in our backyard and they have very subtle differences with the Monarchs.

The Queen chrysalis is smaller and the caterpillar has three sets of protuberances, rather than two. These protuberances are referred to as antennae, but after further research, they are a type of sensory organ called tentacles. Most caterpillars, including the Monarchs, have a set of tentacles at the front of the body and another at the back, but others similar to the Queen have another set somewhere in the middle. These tentacles help the caterpillars sense the world around them through touch, and can also throw off predators by disguising the caterpillar’s head.

The Queens and Monarchs are often mistaken for each other in their various life stages since they both share the milkweed as their host plant. But if you look closely to each of their life cycles, it’s not that hard to tell the difference. The larvae are different with their other set of tentacles, the chrysalses are smaller and the adult butterfly’s colors are obvious. The Queens are solid orange compared to the varying shades of a Monarch with the stained glass vein. There is also a subtle difference in the way their wings fold.

Stickwork Sculpture by artist Patrick Dougherty, Vail, CO  July 2018

July, 2018, Rafting the Colorado River

Manatees are gentle and slow-moving animals. Most of their time is spent eating, resting, and traveling.  Because they are mammals, they must surface to breathe air.

When manatees are using a great deal of energy, they may surface to breathe as often as every 30 seconds. When resting, manatees have been known to stay submerged for up to 20 minutes. Manatees can swim up to 20 miles per hour in short bursts, but they usually only swim about three to five miles per hour.

Arches National Park, UT, June 2018

Plein Air Artists, Jupiter Lighthouse, Jupiter, FL