For about ten minutes on September 2 at Kentucky Manor around 4:00 p.m., a Red-spotted Purple oviposited or at least attempted to do so on a Corkscrew Willow. According to BAMONA, the host plants for the species are leaves of many species of trees and shrubs including wild cherry (Prunus), aspen, poplar, cottonwood (Populus), oaks (Quercus), hawthorn (Crataegus), deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum), birch (Betula), willows (Salix), basswood (Tilia), and shadbush (Amelanchier). A caterpillar has been found at the Manor in previous years. Today, the weather previous to this had been overcast with a few drops of precipitation. The sun broke through now and then in mid-afternoon. Was able to see at least three successive deposits, the others being obscured by leaves or too far up in the tree. The female could have come back to lay again when I was not present. I did see her around later flying around the chum but not eating. The egg seems to be round and a pearl color with indentations. Give it a little more magnification and you can see a bit more detail. Remember the Sleepy Orange egg? Quite different. This is the same Corkscrew Willow that the Viceroy laid eggs. And the willow is only a few feet away from the pots of seedling Baptisia australis where there are eggs of the Wild Indigo Duskywing. Perhaps this piece of the Manor should be designated, "the nursery". Michael Lee Bierly, Nashville, Davidson County, TN
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Red-spotted Purple (ovipositing) (1) 09-02-09 KM (800).jpg
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Red-spotted Purple (ovipositing) (2) 09-02-09 KM (800).jpg
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Red-spotted Purple (egg) (3) 09-02-09 KM (800).jpg
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