Cicadas sing, damselfly listens on July 31, 2011, at World Peace Wetland Prairie: Handheld video

Two five-minute nature videos recorded on 28 July 2011 to be run on Fayetteville Public Television from Monday, August 1, 2011, through Friday, August 5, 2011

Spicebush swallowtails appreciate basketflowers in bloom on July 21, 2011, at WPWP, where sassafras is the host plant in the absence of a big population of spice bushes: Save the sassafras but sacrifice a root now and then to grind into gumbo file!

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for closer view of spicebush swallowtail butterfly on American basketflower on July 21, 2011.
For information about the spicebush swallowtail and its caterpillar, please see this link.
For Hank Williams and the root of the sassafras, please see Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filet gumbo.

spicebush swallowtails nectar on American basketflower and other native wildflowers

But spicebush swallowtails don't need spice bush host plants if you have plenty of sassafras trees

So, being from Louisiana, I can't imagine anything better than file gumbo and spicebush swallowtails, both dependent on the sassafras bush or tree. At WPWP, they become 'trees' in only a few years.

t: gumbo file

New National Wildlife Federation habitat-certification sign added to World Peace Wetland Prairie by Fayetteville City Park crew

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for even closer view.

Park workers installed sign July 19, 2011

Silver-spotted skippers on American basketflower

Tallest basketflower opens fully overnight, others progress

Please click on images to enlarge. Click on enlargement for even closer view.

Great-spangled fritillary on basketflower

American basketflower in bloom on World Peace Wetland Prairie as well as many other places in Northwest Arkansas

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE. Click on enlargement for closer view of Centaurea americana.

Centaurea americana

American basketflower

Cecropia moth's caterpillar may be the most beautiful caterpillar in the Ozarks. Today, I got lucky!

Please click on image to ENLARGE view of Cecropia moth's caterpillar. Use link to read about its life cycle and see image of the moth on another blog.
For an extensive study of this species, please see this link.

See link to read more about Cecropia moth caterpillar

Cecropia moth and its caterpillar