Parsleys for BST Cats....questions. Part II

You know, as I was moving the BST cocoons around on their twigs, I was struck with a sort of reverence at the trust or utter helplessness. If I wasn't raised Catholic stuff like this might make me think of God or something, but we try to keep him out of the garden.

Goodness. Life is a fragile thing.

A.

Call me sentimental, I was concerned that I've inadvertently dropped my smaller Spicebush instar. But, wooohooo, like I surmised; it's was well hidden. Life is good! ?Keep him out of the garden? Life begun in the garden. :))

Ya, know. Religion and politics... ;)


My neighbor lady brought me a giant black fuzzy caterpillar with red stripes. It's curled in a circle so I haven't seen what it looks like.

Have a clue?

I have a new ID mystery now. She found it in her yard. It must have been moving to find food because her yard is fairly barren.

A.

Is it quite large, about the size of a pencil? Some kind of moth cat. maybe?

http://www.hiltonpond.org/thisweek020608.html

The giant leopard moth!

It's a beautiful Moth, but HAIRY looking (pun intended). lol

Look at my first instar, or maybe second instar Spicebush today. BTW, I named the cat. 'Autumn Star'. Isn't he cute?

Very cute! :)

I put this in my "Monarchs . . . finally" thread (but I may have answered my own question by train of thought, below):

"Do you think it's "dangerous" to put my monarch cats into the mesh enclosure I have the BST cocoons in? One of the BST eclosed yesterday - I guess we were thinking they might overwinter so I didn't have them in any kind of enclosure. There I was all of a sudden with a butterfly in my kitchen. :)

I just wondered if a monarch cat climbed over the BST lasso it might break it or fall off - I guess I am answering my own question - especially thinking if a cat climbed up onto one and pulled it down and fell . . .. splat."

One of my last 4 BSTs pupae eclosed yesterday. The weather has been dreary, and cool. The butterfly didn't take flight and hunkered down over night. This pix was taken yesterday when I first released it.

That's great!

I have another question - 2 cats who are quite large and ready, but are wandering around like they don't know what to do with themselves. They're not going to make it, are they? :/

Quite healthy. I brought those 2 in with a third that was very tiny. She didn't make it.

A.

We're raising various caterpillars, you and I. Are your BSTs cats. wandering around or Monarch? I just wanted to share my experience with others. By no means I'm expert at any of these stuffs. From my experience, Amanda, the BSTs cats. wandering around a great deal, sometime a day or two before they situate in a spot that they like. Where as my Spicebush caterpillar, I noticed that it prefers to morph. right among the hostplant's itself? (that's my guess). Just an observation.

Thanks. They were free roaming this morning (BST) but all my monarchs are in individual jars. A friend is going to lend me a butterfly pop up tomorrow. That'll give me 2 and I won't worry about them crawling on eachother and wreaking havoc.

I wonder if caterpillar poop is good for plants like earthworm castings? :D

I guess I'll find out!

Let some of the volunteer dill grow--looks like it was a good decision!

Another!

Hurray!

Are you rearing them or just watching?

I released my 4th BST this morning. It really feels good because they have been so scarce this year. Glad to know I am helping in some small way.

7 of 10 monarch cats have chrysalized (?!) and 3 more hanging in J formation. Still have a mess of sulfur cats from the senna plant too.

This is not a hobby for those gainfully employed. :P

Hope you have a buggy day. :)

A.

We are rearing them--have three cats, and a chrysallis.

I have four cats still and 6 chrysalids. I'l have them until the end of may, beginning of june. Hope they all make it.

Thanks Bruce, it's nice to see those caterpillars just munching away. I saw various BST instars at the Botanical butterfly house last weekend. They're always a pleasant sight. Amanda, glad you've success with the BSTs eclosures. Congrats. Best of lucks with the others.

Marna, are yours BSTs as well? I strongly believe the temperature is a strong influencing factor that triggers the chrysalids to eclose or 'stay put'. It was really warm here in mid. August. Some of my BSTs chrysalids eclosed in mere one week time. Other took 2 weeks. The remainder, all have been more than 2 weeks time, but only one eclosed. With that in mind. I tried something different; instead of keeping my cat. housing indoor in air conditioned environment. I took the tent outside. In the tent I've two chrysalids. Indoor, I keep 3 others. I'll monitor them and find out if the one outdoor will eclose before those that keep inside. I'll keep everyone posted.

Yep, mine are all BSTs. I keep them outside on the covered patio all the time. The first one to "stay put" actually was only a few days behind one that eclosed. Go figure.