Found this guy chowing down on my green bean plants. Not sure if he's "good" or "bad".
Friend or Foe?
It looks like it could be a little butterfly, but I couldn't find one like it here
http://www.dallasbutterflies.com/
I looked through all the sites I could get to, but nothing exact. If he were eating my beans I would feed him to my chicken. Depends on whether you're more into your veggies or the butterflies and moths!
Hopefully someone will come along with an ID.
Something is eating the entire leaf on many of my plants. Thought maybe I had a rabbit but have moved the pots up high and still having problems. I have others that look the same as Stephanie's. No sign of any caterpillars as the Anole Lizards are here in high numbers. Intended to raise Swallowtails this years. Have lots of host plants and have seen some on the wing but no eggs. Afraid the lizards are having a banquet.
I am afraid of that too Christi.
I'll keep it in the butterfly cage with some bean leaves and see what happens. Maybe when it gets bigger it can be identified.
That sounds like a good idea Stephanie.
Christi...as for the swallowtails..I haven't had any here either and there has been no eating on the plants at all.
I saw ONE swallowtail earlier in the season....ONE!! Last year they were all over the place!
We have had a few at the Fielder garden but not many at all, it is a very strange spring.
Same with the Tiger Swallowtails....nada this year. I know they both over-winter in Chrysalis, so either the wild fires or drought conditions may have taken a tole on them.
Lots of them in my garden today ...
Black Swallowtail, Pipevine Swallowtail and a Gray Hairstreak
This message was edited Jun 2, 2012 9:55 AM
Beautiful, Sheila!!
I have an area that runs the width of my backyard, about 5 feet wide from the fenceline, that the previous owners had a decorative rock wall put up outlining what looks to be a place for a flower garden. I've dug up about a 6' wide section and have a small flower bed and Mark has dug a "plot" for his asparagus. I really want to dig up the rest of the grass in it and convert it to a butterfly garden. I think Mark is almost on board!! There are a couple of Crepe Myrtles already planted back there (which I'm not exactly fond of, but they don't require much maintenance) and a Rose of Sharon that I think is still alive way on the far end. I'd have A LOT of space to plant lots of natives and other butterfly nectar and host plants! That's a project for this fall and next spring, though, since we have to remove the grass and add lots of amendments.
That sounds like a great project Stephanie.
Sheila what are the names
of your BFs ?
Nothing to do with butterflies but I found a cutworm just starting to climb up one of my bean seedlings yesterday evening. It was amazing to watch it, it really surprised me. Its not there anymore.
Baja....Drthor posted the pics, but they are of Black Swallowtail, Pipefine Swallowtail and a Gray Hairstreak I am pretty certain.
thanks Sheila_FW
I have updated the post.
I have millions of those butterflies in my garden ...
Hey, Sheila. Finally saw a giant Swallowtail yesterday. At one of the RU's Debnes door prize was a butterfly id and I really used it. Going to go investigate the dill and the rue to see if I have any eggs.
Yea Christi!! Me too!! Just today at lunch I saw a GST flying around the citrus but didn't see it when I carried out a camera. Look at the rue and citrus, the dill is only used by the Black ST. Hope you have eggs!
I have lots of GSTs on my citrus but they are just starting up. I'll try to get some photos this evening. It's too hot now!
the last couple of days I have found multiple cats on the rue and the dill. very strange. Giant Swallowtail as expected....but...also Monarch. Have them safely growing in the butterfly hacienda. BTW, found ants inside the cage with them and put some peppermint leaves in and the ants left. yay!
Strange in deed, do you have a picture Christi? Did you put some milkweed in there with the Monarch cats?
Palamedes Swallowtail cat.
Wishing the Gulf Frit cocoon on my chicken coop luck! I think it's high up enough though.
Hopefully, this Swallowtail is laying more eggs on my parsley.
A few more shots;
Blurry but cute baby GST
Easter Black Swallowtail larva
GST almost ready
and I couldn't resist posting the swallow nests because they are just amazing!
"Eastern" Black Swallowtail
You can edit text in your posts btw. Might want to update the Spicebush too.
I am thouroughly with you on the great nest picture. Is that at your house?
Sheila, I have yet to figure out how to upload pictures to this site from iPhoto. Everything else about Apple I love but not iPhoto.
Shiela: No the photo was taken at the drive-through at my bank. The lady was complaining about the birds & their poop so I, politely, remarked how they must be delighted at the mosquito free environment they now have! I hope they "get it"!
Sheila- I have no idea how to post the Spicebush to the Bug Files. I'm still trying to figure a lot of things out here on DG!
Sweet...Use this link and pull it up, scroll to the bottom where it says "your actions"...click on "upload an image of this bug". From there you browse your pictures and select then preview and confirm that you want to post it. Easy peasy! BTW, it has to be approved so it won't show up right away.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/94/
This message was edited Jun 14, 2012 10:24 PM
Got it. Thanks, Sheila!!
Oh, & the green cat is not a Palamedes but a Spicebush Swallowtail. Sorry about the mislabeling.
I saw a question mark butterfly for the first time in my life a week or so ago. It is really interesting. only saw one. I have not seen any of the red generals that you guys up Dallas way have seen. I have a spice bush and it has lots of folded over leaves and something has been eating its leaves but Ive seen nothing to indicate what. It seems to be quite true that "if you plant it they will come".
At least I thought it was. When I check on google, the underside does not match. On the one I saw, when the butterfly had it's wings erect, the underside looked exactly like a dried leaf.
This message was edited Jun 15, 2012 3:13 PM
I was looking for host plants for the palamedes and found this article from nature conservancy about the impending demise of the red bay, (the only larval host for the palamedes). Here is the link.
www.terrain.org/articles/22/cerulean.htm
This message was edited Jun 15, 2012 3:43 PM
That is horrible news! Good to know what to watch out for though, thanks.