I wondered why they were clustered like that. I saw a few solo caterpillars on other plants, and one or two leaves had been eaten to the midrib. Are they native at least?
There are always lots of orange Milkweed beetles on their plants, but they don't seem to do much damage.
Looks like I'll be collecting pods for the forest clearing again. I am really, really surprised that I haven't seen a single Milkweed growing there yet.
Plant it and they will come Monarchs and Pollinators
Yes, the Milkweed Tussock Moth is a native species. Are the beetles you speak of the elongated Red Milkweed Beetles, or the Milkweed Leaf Beetles that look like over-sized Lady Beetles dressed for Halloween in orange and black? Just a few of the latter can strip an entire plant, very destructive.
They're Red Milkweed Beetles.
This butterfly was happily feeding on my Joe Pye Weed today. I thought it was a Black Swallowtail, but it doesn't match the photos I've found. I'm stumped. Does anyone recognize it?
It is a Spicebush Swallowtail, Papilio troilus. The bright blue coloration indicates it is a male. The same area is a blue-green on the female.
Drats! I don't happen to have a Spice Bush. CatMint and I were at Meadowlark Gardens today for a tour of its butterfly garden, and they have a Spice Bush. I hope it will somehow find it.
Edited to add that because it's a male, it won't be laying eggs anyway.
This message was edited Aug 9, 2014 8:54 PM
I've seen Spice Bush growing wild in the woods around here
You should grow one just for the caterpillars.
That's adorable! Now I do want a Spice Bush.
I haven't noticed them in the wild around here, but there might be some. I see that Sassafras is another host plant and there might be some of those in the forest.
This message was edited Aug 10, 2014 12:13 PM
This message was edited Aug 10, 2014 12:14 PM
What is it?
Black Swallowtail cat.
Thanks, greenthumb.
Lucky you, CatMint! I would be very happy if a Black Swallowtail cat appeared on my dill, parsley or Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders).
Way cool Catmint! Wonder if it's related to the ones you have raised? Hope you have lots of parsely as that one looks like it might grow as big and fat as your last one! I read somewhere that BSTs like to stick with the plantt type they were born on...don't know if it is true but some of mine last year kept eating the parsely or fennel and not chowing down on the rue. Always a surprise to me that I can look a host plant over very carefully and then come back a day or two later and there is a big catterpillar! Must remember they are masters of disguise. I am glad when they show themselves to me though.
Muddy I would be happy if a BST cat appeared on any of your plants! I've been hearing about the Golden Alexanders but haven't seen them growing anywhere yet., the spice bush in the woods I have walked and in my yard are totally unremarkable and just blend in to the "undergrowth' to my eye. The way I have found one or two is by the scent of their inconspicuous bloom! Yeah sassafrass, I need to get me some and a pawpaw or two!
Had some great adventures today with another pollinator friend. I heard you had an outing, too Muddy. I enjoy me adventures with Catmint! Sorry I couldn't join the butterfly garden tour with you both yesterday
David how is Loundoun Cty Monarch project going? I see there was a milkweed plant sale yesterday. Were you and Pat there?
Coleup, I don't know how the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Monarch project is going, and figures will probably not be complete until October. I will be at a meeting at LWC offices tomorrow and perhaps will hear something on the project. Did not make it to the Milkweed sale yesterday, but will be working at the native plant sale Sept. 14th.
Sorry--having trouble uploading and editing with my cell phone.
Had a wonderful weekend, first exploring the pollinator gardens with Muddy, then a quick visit from SSG to exchange some plants, and finally visiting some milkweed sites with Coleup. Managed to get some butterfly shots while I was at it!
Hope these all upload okay. First 5 are from the trip to the pollinator gardens with Muddy. It was really cool. They had a bee garden, a butterfly garden, and then a salvia and herb garden. I tried to take notes on which plants they were using at the 3 gardens--I'd like to plant some more focused spots next year!
1st 3 pics are from the salvia & herb garden--those are mountain mints (P. muticum) in the first shot--we definitely thought of you, Greenthumb! 2nd two pics are of a Swallowtail we saw in the 'seasonal' garden on the way out, enjoying the Tithonia rotundifolia.
It was lots of fun--and great to see Muddy of course! It was also nice to see SSG when she came by later for some plants. :-)
Then today, I met up with Coleup and we stopped at a place where they had planted tons of Joe Pye Weed as well as other nectar plants. Saw several Tiger Swallowtails, lots of skippers, and tons of bees enjoying the feast. Then we stopped at the Ace, where several of the Coneflower species were crawling with skippers, and then a beautiful (Fritillary?) came investigating as well. He hung around on the Echinacea 'Magnus' and also on some white coneflower, so the Magnus and the White went into my shopping cart. ;-)
In fact, in picture #4 and #5 you can see him on the Magnus in my cart, which I took as a sure sign that a higher power meant me to take that Magnus home. ;-)
Finishing up the butterfly excursions and back at the homestead:
1) A tiny Skipper hanging out on my Mentha spicata blossoms--wonder if this is the Least Skipper?
2) Close up of my BST cat. I brought him inside where he is continuing to enjoy parsley.
3) Fennel bloom with some kind of insect on it.
4) Another shot of the butterfly at Ace.
5) A Tiger Swallowtail on the Joe Pye weed.
Those are great photos, CatMint. How nice that you had a "personal shopper" to help you select the best nectar sources!
Is the butterfly on the Tithonia rotundifolia a Black Swallowtail?
Meadowlark Gardens' butterfly garden seemed to have everything a butterfly could possibly want, but there sure weren't many butterflies.
I haven't really looked for Spice bushes in the woods, but I think I would have noticed the flowers. I'll try to get one for my garden before next spring.
thanks, Muddy! :-) LOL--yes, those were the best personal shoppers I've ever had at a nursery! :-)
I think it is a Spicebush Swallowtail on the Tithonia.
I agree about the lack of butterflies--and our tour guide commented on it as well. Definitely consistent with what I've heard so many say this season. :-( Of course, now I know that we're not seeing any butterflies down here because they are all up in Annapolis visiting the stand of Joe Pyes near Coleup!! :-D
Weird....I had a zillion Swallow Tail cats on my parsley and Dill last summer.
They ate all OF IT--AND MORE, nothing but bare stalks left.
I let them--and nurtured them--BUT this summer--there are NONE!
I planted at least 10 Dill plants and several Parsley plants--as well as potted ones.
Would Tomato plants deter them? The Dill was right there along with the Tomatos.
I have yet to see a cat on any of them. WHY?
Look--I don't really care. I am not getting fanatic about all this--but it seems odd.
Not like the rest of you are...but i am, quietly, trying to do my share.
Where did they all go from last year???? Surely--they were well fed.
I have seen a lot of yellow ST Butterflies--as well as some of the dark ones.
No Monarchs---as I do not have any Milkweed big enough yet to attract them.
As I water plants at HD--I have all kinds of time to observe all kinds of bees and
bumblebees feeding on plants. I have seen Hummingbird Moths. All kinds of
"pollinators".... We co-exsist and I do not freak out that bees are just inches from my hands.
I have time to observe them and look at them--as watering each pot takes several minutes.
I kind of enjoy it---watering is quiet, mindless work. As long as it is not sweltering...
Today was very warm and humid. YUK!!! Same old...same old...tomorrow.
G.
Gita, what I have heard is that butterfly counts are down this year in many areas due to the polar vortex we had, especially the very cold spell we had in March or so. So many butterflies overwinter as chrysalises and then emerge in the early spring, but this year they emerged (if at all) into a polar vortex.
I got an ID on the Fritillary from Ace--it is most likely a Great Spangled Fritillary.
I'll see if I can get one for the wasp on my fennel.
While the photo of the wasp on your fennel is insufficient to tell for sure, I think that it is a species of paper wasp
thanks, Greenthumb! I wonder if there is a nest somewhere in my yard.
CatMint, look on the eaves of your house for one of those gray, upside-down mushrooms.
On another note, I was at a meeting at Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy today. While no data has been collected yet about the numbers of Monarch cats raised, the folks there who have raised many cats in the past all said that they have been unable to find any to bring inside this year. The monarch situation is looking especially grim currently. Also, low butterfly populations in general this year have been noted by all. This past winter is thought to be a major factor.
That is very sad and concerning to hear Greenthumb. :-( thanks for passing this info on.
Got an ID on the tiny Lepidoptera on my Mentha spicata. It is Pyrausta orphisalis, or Orange Mint Moth--and the M. spicata is a larval host plant for it.
It's a pretty one. I should check my spearmint for tiny eggs and caterpillars in the coming days.
This message was edited Aug 11, 2014 9:59 PM
Guess what? Saw my first caterpillar on one of the pots of parsley.
It was a young one....about 1" long...
Wonder where it came from??? G.
Saw a flutter of orange up by the river, but couldn't see clearly enough, so am hoping it was a monarch.
Oh greenthumb, that's very sad news. :(
Still nothing on my fennel or parsley.
I did see my first monarch of the season last week!
The pods of one of my Swamp Milkweed plants are covered aphids, so I guess I'll blast them off with water. Does this kill them, or do some usually come back?
Muddy, are they the orange oleander aphids? I have been finger squishing any I find on my twice daily patrolsof the many milkweed plants I am growing. Mostly I find them on the growing tips but also undersides of leaves and stems, and most recently on swamp milkweed flower buds. I had one seed pod on swamp milkweed with aphids, so I put a clear plastic bag over it and squished them against pod, catching any that fell off in the process in the bag.
I have them same question as you do: does spraying off aphids with a strong stream of water actually kill them or just move them around where some of them die before reaching another food source.?
Of the milkweed I am growing this year, A. incarnata 'Ice Ballet' has most aphids, thn regular A. incarnata then Common. A tuberosa, and Tropical seem unaffected by aphids thus far. I find new clusters of aphids every day to squish.
I sprayed off all of the aphids yesterday and there were some on the pods today, but not nearly as many. I wish the hummingbirds would find them; apparently they love aphids.
I've been experimenting with companion planting--finding herbs that will attract the beneficial insects that will feed on the pests of a companion plant. I think it has helped.
Good point Catmint. Nature rarely does monoculture, diversity being the name of the game as well as some population balance over all and adaptive strategies to changing conditions to ensure same.
Let's continue over here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1371944/