Rayetta's Butterflies - Behavioral Notes

The Eupatorium greggii has been blooming for some time now, never without a Danaid butterfly upon the blossoms. Formerly, the Danaid in question was a Monarch. I surmise there was only one Monarch because I only ever saw one at one time. Then, the Queens came back. For several days the Monarch spent lots of time and energy keeping the Queens off the Eupatorium greggii. That Monarch attacked the Queens, driving the Queens away and stirring up the Buckeyes until the airways above the Eupatorium greggii were charged with zipping, truculent butterflies. Then observing the excitement, the whole neighborhood would go airborne, from hummingbird moths to tiny skippers all fired up. Gracious sakes! How's a girl to get a picture?

But now that Monarch has departed. The Queens peacefully assemble upon the Eupatorium greggii. Only the Buckeyes are fussy.

Meantime, the banana suckers descend in droves. This morning on one count I enumerated 11 Hackberry Emperors and two Question Marks on one banana. Often, large, spectacular beetles are on the same banana with these same butterflies. However, since I can reliably identify only about two beetle species by myself, the Coleoptera shall get no furtherance in this venue for the nonce.