Hello :)
I pray this is a butterfly caterpillar. A few were on our Mammoth Russian Sunflower plant and a few were on our Black eyed Susan...
I thought it would be a Painted Lady or Silvery Checkerspot cat...but the pic I have doesn't match what's in my books or what I can find online...Big Sigh...
If they are butterfly cats, I'll put them back on their host plants...but if not...they are going bye bye!
Thanks,
Susan
look like the brushfoot family to me. but we'll let the experts chime in.
Definitely a butterfly caterpillar - not a moth. Raise them!!!
Not sure what ya'll get up in Nebraska but it looks to be some kind of Checkerspot or Crescent caterpillar.
My first guess would be Silvery Checkerspots - Black-eyed Susans
My second guess would be Gorgone Checkerspot - sunflowers
That all orange one looks like a Dotted Checkerspot caterpillar but I don't think you get those there.
The all look like Bordered Patch caterpillars as they vary in color throughout their instar stages - but not sure you get them there either?
...soooooo am leaning towards Silvery Checkerspots as they are more common :o)
Raise 'em - and let us know :o)
~ Cat
This message was edited Jul 27, 2009 8:06 PM
Looked a little like the bordered patches (colorwise). and they host on sunflower family, but not 'zactly.
Well, Shelia posted a cat link and I think that those ARE Bordered Patches. See what you think.
http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/35833324
http://www.pbase.com/tmurray74/image/35833875
Thanks for the links Mrs_Ed,
The 2nd link looks exactly like the cats we have! I had put them back on their respective host plants. That was a sneaky female laying her eggs...I didn't even see her to take a pic...I've never seen one before!
I just checked this link to learn more about this butterfly and low and behold...it's pretty rare here!
Darn it all...and I missed it! :(
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1712
This message was edited Jul 31, 2009 2:36 PM
yah, i saw how sporadic it is there.
Pretty butterfly!
I have these on many of my plants - I was wondering if I should just leave them alone. To me, they look like the cats that are eating my Passiflora leaves - same color except MUCH smaller.
Bordered Patches are in mucho abundance here during the Fall season :o)
~ Cat
Well that's just too adorable!
Yep, my cats look just like those - guess I'll leave them alone and kiss my plants goodbye!
These are eating my Oleanders, too - aaakkkkkk! I am thinking it's time for a dousing with BT!!!
Bordered Patches do not use oleander. No butterfly does.
I think there is a pesky moth that uses oleander - nothing else eats those plants as they are poisonous. Douse them!!!
~ Cat
Yep, I just looked them up - I have Oleander moth/caterpillars - they are as good as dead!
