Meet Julia

I met Julia Longwing last week at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Dryas iulia commonly called the Julia Butterfly, Julia Heliconian, The Flame, or Flambeau, is a species of brush-footed butterfly. The sole representative of its genus Dryas, it is native from Brazil to southern Texas and Florida, and in summer can sometimes be found as far north as eastern Nebraska. Over 15 subspecies have been described.

Its wingspan ranges from 82 to 92 mm, and it is colored orange (brighter in male specimens) with black markings; this species is somewhat unpalatable to birds.

This butterfly is a fast flier and frequents clearings, paths, and margins of forests and woodlands. It feeds on the nectar of flowers, such as lantanas (Lantana) and Shepherd's-needle (Scandix pecten-veneris). Its caterpillar feeds on leaves of passion vines including Passiflora affinis and Yellow Passionflower (P. lutea) in Texas.

The species is popular in butterfly houses because it is long-lived and active throughout the day.

Wishing YOU well and much joy!

Thank you to Eileen for Saturday Critters.

Thanks, Misty!

A Beautiful Treat

It's critter day!

This is the Rice Paper Butterfly from Malaysia.

I found them flying around in the Rain Forest Conservatory at the 

Houston Museum of Natural Science. 

What a beautiful treat!

Wishing YOU well and much joy.

Thanks to Eileen at Saturday Critters.

Thanks, Misty!

Postcard Friendship Friday

Postcard Friendship Friday is brought to you by our lovely postmistress, Marie.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the postcards last week that I found
at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

I thought I'd share some more photos from that 50 cent collection!

"From the back of the postcard: "The Cockrell Butterfly Center is a spectacular four-story glass and steel structure housing a lush tropical environment, where you can see over a thousand brilliantly colored butterflies from around the world."




"Dryas iulia - the Julia or Flambeau" " The brilliant orange julia is a common sight in sunny areas of tropical Central and South America. Here a male nectars at an equally brilliant Mexican sunflower. Females are slightly duller in color and have black edging on the forewings."





"Citherias menander - Dawn Satyr" " Although there is no official common name for this etheral Central American butterfly, a good choice would be Dawn Satyr, in recognition of the rosy flush on the hind part of the otherwise transparent wings. Shown here is a mating pair."




"Danaus plexippus - the Monarch" " The black and orange monarch, famous for its incredible yearly migration to central Mexico, is one of our most familiar butterflies. This one is nectaring at a Liatris or blazing star flower."

Be sure to visit other Postcard Friendship Friday participants.

Happy PFF!

A Christmas Carol

Mr. Dragon and I went to see Disney's A Christmas Carol on Monday at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Strange place to see a movie? Not at all if you want to see it in 3D IMAX and try to catch the snowflakes! What is a bit out of the ordinary -- it was the second movie we went to see this year. We just aren't big movie goers. Julie and Julia was such a hit with us, we thought we'd try a holiday movie before the lines got too long.

Disney has presented two other adaptations of A Christmas Carol: Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983 and the Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992. They are all so different -- hand-drawn animation, puppetry and now, 3D and IMAX 3D. In this movie, actions of human actors are recorded and then used to animate digital characters -- as in Polar Express.

Jim Carrey plays Scrooge and the three ghosts of Christmas. Gary Oldman is Bob Cratchit. I read a review in one of our local neighborhood newspapers that said "the film is so jam-packed with effects that it seemed more like a Disney amusement ride than a motion picture."

We enjoyed A Christmas Carol. We enjoyed the Houston Museum of Natural Science, too! I wouldn't recommend this movie for very young children (or for older children who frighten easily) -- too many frightening ghostly effects.