Gulf Fritallary on the move!

This is the time of year I have to take deep breaths, grit my teeth and not pick up the bug spray. The Gulf Fritallary cats are munching away on my Passiflora aurantia. A few weeks ago Sphinx Moths totally denuded my Iochroma.

Love red passion flowers - are they cold hardy in Summerville? I've seen those cats munching on passifloras and oleander in my yard, and I've been warned their stings are very painful.

the Aurantia is suppose to be zone 8 hardy but until I get a few more plants from seed I'm not taking any chance. Don't know about the stings .. not willing to test it out!

I noticed these cats have been munching on my maypop vines this past week.
Barb

So I had to go outside and check out my Passiflora to see if I had any cats. I found 2, there could have been more but I was happy to find those.

They've all but finished off my aurantia and the little buggers found my rooted cuttings in the greenhouse .. actually the butterflies found my rooted cuttings and laid eggs .. I removed them to another passie. I keep looking for chrysalises but can't find any.

I confused the Gulf Fritallary cat with the oleander cat. They look very similar, but the black protrusions on the Gulf Fritallary are spiked, while those on the oleander cat form brushes/ stiff bristles. Contrary to what I've been told, neither species is supposed to bite/sting.

Lol .. well as I said before .. I'm not going to test it out!