I was picking harlequin bugs, and suddenly saw the beautiful caterpillars all over a dill plant, about ten of them, very small still. I checked the other four dill, and they are all covered. This is strange, as I intentionally let milkweed grow for the monarchs, and here they are on the dill? They are right beside the tomatoes, will they eat those too?
When my son came out, I showed him the Cats, and he immediately said, "Those are Mozark butterfly caterpillars Mom!" We had a study in butterflies and caterpillars last summer, and he Remembered!!!
So I guess I just let them eat the dill??? Does this mean they will come back here every year? Why aren't they on the neighboring milkweed?
Wish I had taken a picture, but it got dark so fast. I looked at some photos for a postive ID.
I'm new at this sorta thing, please HELP!
Monarch CATS on Dill???!!!
Hi TamaraFaye,
Those little cats are probably Black Swallowtails. The Monarch and Black Swallowtail cats look very similar, but Monarchs eat only milkweed. If you want some of your dill for spices, you better harvest it now, as the swallowtail cats will grow and grow, and eat and eat!!! Don't worry about your tomatoes, only the tomato hornworms will eat them.
They are great fun to watch through the life cycle!!!
Mark
Good for you, Fritch!
thanks, they can have the dill LOL...
An easy way to identify Monarchs is by the set of "whiskers" on either end. Black swallowtails don't have them, and queens have three sets.
what color are these whskers?
Fouind a cat on milkweed, was short, orange and fuzzy...
not likely to be back on for a while, having surgery (see prayer forum) thanks, whatever they are I pulled on off ytomatoes today! they are turning green grom all the dill!!!