Sachem Skipper

I blipped one of these recently but hadn't gotten around to identifying it in order to add it to my yardbugs2024 list.  I shall correct that oversight today and glad I waited because it was especially nice to catch this one on my native New England Asters.  This is a Sachem Skipper, one of the small grass skippers that are common this time of year.  The flower is perhaps 1 1/2 inches in diameter which gives you a sense of how small the skipper is.

A friend of mine gifted me some asters from his garden back in 2019 and they have spread each summer, adding a big splash of color to my fall garden just as everything else is dying back.  They self seed with great vigor so it is best not to start them in a garden unless you really are committed.  For me, I love the color and the don't mind them spreading wherever they like.  I also have some purple ones that I didn't plant but that I suspect were planted by birds as they grow wild in fields near us.  They are pollinator magnets and provide food for migrating monarchs, bees, wasps, flies and even hummingbirds.

Speaking of Monarchs, there was a female ovipositing in my garden today, to my dismay.  It is way too late in the season for them to be laying eggs so I suspect something just went wrong as it occasionally does.  The eggs may not be viable and even if they are, there isn't enough milkweed in my garden or really anywhere to feed a bunch of caterpillars this late in the year.  I also noticed that the eggs are not well attached to the leaves, meaning they can easily be dislodged.  This reinforces my thought that they may not be viable.  This may be a female who is egg-dumping.  Anyway, I hated to see it as there isn't really anything I can do but let nature run its course.  Meanwhile, in the nursery...10 freshly-pupated chrysalids and three more cats eating.  I found one more big one in the garden last night - not sure how he escaped my vigilant and frequent checks of the milkweed all this time!  I brought him in to finish feeding in safety and I expect him to pupate in the next few days, assuming he hasn't been parasitized.  

I only saw one hummingbird today so I suspect the others left at first light headed south.  From now until the end of September, we will have migrants coming through, some staying several days, others just for a night.  Feeders will be kept full of fresh nectar for all comers. And because we are a liberal-leaning sanctuary yard, all will be welcome!  (Yes, that was a bit of political snark!). 

Plain dark today.
xo
Debbi