I had one for a neighbor in Catanzaro Lido in the late 70s. The organization is older than Italy itself. What I didn't know that 70 percent of them were from southern Italy, in the same four major regions one would find the mafia. Only stands to reason that both sides of the law were drawn from the same populace.

 

Pretty trichocereus flowers.
About 6" in diameter. Only last a day if the deer don't get them.

 

Pretty trichocereus flowers.
About 6" in diameter. Only last a day if the deer don't get them.
View attachment 93154

View attachment 93155

My wife says: "Wow!"... and I concur

 

My wife says: "Wow!"... and I concur

They are pretty. It's a shame they don't last longer. But with a fair amount of rain this year they have bloomed about 10 times.
Several different colors with some really big white ones they call dinner plate.
It's interesting, they all bloom on the same day.
The deer eat only the flower and leave the stamen.

 

They are pretty. It's a shame they don't last longer. But with a fair amount of rain this year they have bloomed about 10 times.
Several different colors with some really big white ones they call dinner plate.
It's interesting, they all bloom on the same day.
The deer eat only the flower and leave the stamen.

I wonder if they're also edible to humans... like the pumpkin flower

 

I wonder if they're also edible to humans... like the pumpkin flower

I think they are best known for the mescaline they contain under their skin. But I haven't tried it -- yet.

 

I think they are best known for the mescaline they contain under their skin. But I haven't tried it -- yet.

Oh my.... I was only wondering if they're among the edible flowers group... I hadn't thought they might have some extra kick

 

Maybe a jigapixel.
http://www.gigapixel.com/mobile/?id=79995

 

Maybe a jigapixel.
http://www.gigapixel.com/mobile/?id=79995

Wow! that's impressive... and the pic's full of pretty faces too!

 

My wife took this pic this morning... but the butterfly seems very strange in it. One could say it's almost creepy ... I'm guessing that she took it at an odd angle, or that the thing was sticking out its (yellow!?) tongue at that moment.

This is the best resolution that I can post it with, since it was taken with a smartphone.

​

Any entomologists here that could give a more educated opinion?

 

I do not see a butterfly.
Entomologists point of view

 

It's out of proportion for a hummingbird. Do you have yellow nectar bats in Mexico?
Just kidding. The lack of a size reference makes me think this is a small bird.

 

It's out of proportion for a hummingbird. Do you have yellow nectar bats in Mexico?
Just kidding. The lack of a size reference makes me think this is a small bird.

Trust me, it's not a bird... it's a creepy half-butterfly, half-moth or something... gotta ask my wife for more details, but I doubt she can tell me anything new

 

As for a size reference, maybe it would help if you consider that the flowers behind it belong to a bugambilia. Also if you take a closer look at the branch just below it, there's a thorn sticking out.

 

The plant name helps but the thorn doesn't.

 

Save horned caterpillars.................you never know what you’ll get.

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/faq/i-saw-moth-looks-hummingbird-what-it

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...0j1.1.0....0...1ac..64.img..1.0.0.g2CUS1lDqi4

 

Save horned caterpillars.................you never know what you’ll get.

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/faq/i-saw-moth-looks-hummingbird-what-it

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1115&bih=608&q="hummingbird,"+"sphinx,"+or+"hawk"+moths&oq="hummingbird,"+"sphinx,"+or+"hawk"+moths&gs_l=img.12...5322.5322.0.6748.1.1.0.0.0.0.102.102.0j1.1.0....0...1ac..64.img..1.0.0.g2CUS1lDqi4

Strange looking suckers (pun intended), ain't them?

 

The south skyline from Navy Pier in Chicago last week.

 

Just a Thanks to the posters. You can not know how many fond memories I have from seeing recent photos of places I have seen in person.

 

And to all those places which I will probably never see with my own eyes.

Keep them posted