I found this 1 1/2" larva on my Indigo Spires eating the blooms. Anybody recognize it!
Thanks
Need I.D. please
No, don't recognize it but that is a stunning photo! :-)
Mary
Peg: It's a Salt Marsh caterpillar (Estigmene acrea). Quite variable in appearance -- and it has a very wide range of host plants, so if you don't want it eating your Indigo Spires, just sit it down on the ground and it'll roam off to something else. Makes a pretty little white and black moth.
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Thanks Dale, funny you should say to let it down on the ground. Soon after I wrote the email it moved from the Indigo Spires and I didn't see it for a few days. Then one day I saw it moving faster than any larvae I have ever seen scurry to another plant.
Had my first sighting in my area of a Tiger Swallowtail, was very excited. Hope the female uses the huge amounts of Dutchman's Pipe to lay her eggs.
Still no Pipevines seen yet this year, but a bunch of Black Swallowtails.
peg
I had two TSTs in the yard the other day at the same time. They use trees for their host plants so I am sure I won't be seeing any of their cats, but I love to see the adults!
Sheila, according to a source I don't remember they will use Dutchman's Pipe actually anything in that family for a host plant. Finally got a pic today.
Peg:
Whatever you read about Tiger Swallowtails using Dutchman's Pipe is completely wrong. Unfortunately, there's lots of wrong information out there. Dutchman's Pipes is a common name used for various species of pipevines (Aristolochia spp.) -- some of which, but not all, host for Pipevine Swallowtails and Polydamas Swallowtails. Tiger Swallowtails do not use them. The most common trees that Tiger Swallowtails use in our area of north Texas are various species of ash trees: Green Ash, Texas Ash, Pennsylvania Ash. They'll also use several species of Ligustrums. There's a good flight of them out right now. The second brood of Giant Swallowtails are also starting to be on the wing. If you want to see both of these guys up close and personal, the all around best nectar plant I've found is Summer Phlox a.k.a. Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata).
Great pic!
Dale Clark
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society
www.dallasbutterflies.com
Dale, thanks for straightening me out...I had to think where I got that from, somewhere on the web, now I have to search for it. Gee and I thought I was getting a two-fer with having both the Pipevines and EGS to feed on my Dutchman's pipe. LOL
That is a really nice pic Peg! I got a Black Cherry tree from LindaTx this weekend, so hope I can lure them in.
I see at least 3 or 4 in the garden now where there was never any. Wonder who has the host plant. Must look into it.
Thanks
I was going to post this picture for identification and found this thread, do you think what I have is the same. It is eating my false blue indigo
No, I don't think that one is anything like the one I have. You should post it on a seperate post for others to help you identify it.
Good luck
Peg....I need to talk to you....urgent....sending a dmail.
Sheila